When I started reading this, I had no idea how it would affect me. It’s often the personal stories that are the most impactful. And this is one powerful letter.

Man Sneaks Up Behind Mother-in-Law, Can’t Believe What She’s Doing

This is Sharon, my mother-in-law.

She taught me it’s important work to see someone for who they are and not what you expect.

When I first met my mother-in-law, I had a hard time understanding her thick southern Virginia accent. And she seemed a little bossy in that southern passive aggressive polite way. But I knew she was important to the love of my life, so I accepted her begrudgingly, as some of us do when family is forced on us.

After 7 years, I still don’t really know her.

When my wife got leukemia at 30, when they gave her a 10% chance to live, when our world was shattered and changed forever, Sharon very quietly and very firmly stepped into the role she was born for. She moved, with her dependent Vietnam vet husband, into our house and became my wife’s caretaker too.

Over a period of two years, she bought most of the groceries, cooked almost every meal, did most of the laundry and cleaning, drove both dependents to almost every one of the 300+ doctor appointments , sorted tens of thousands of pills, and made sure they were all taken on time at every hour, every day.

And she did this when she herself was diagnosed with cancer in the middle of caring for everyone else. When she was getting a mastectomy. When she is going through chemo. She hums when she works. She talks to herself when there’s no one to listen, and she goes about every day with humility and grace.

cancer

I took this photo (seen above) before I left for work one day. She didn’t know I was there.

This, friends, is what greatness looks like in a quiet moment. Waiting on oatmeal to cook for her daughter for the 300th time since she got sick. Her hair was gone from her own chemo. She refused to quit caring against all odds.

Not everyone gets to have a real-world superhero in their lives. And for this I was filled with gratitude every day.

The real heroes don’t wear capes. Sometimes, they wear bathrobes in kitchens making oatmeal.

I don’t know about you, but Scott’s words really hit home. Supporting a loved one through their cancer journey takes a toll.

Thank God for everyday heroes. The ones whose strength help us get through it. And no one is stronger than a mama fighting for her child.

So call and visit and hug all those moms out there while you have them in your life. Every day is a blessing.

And remember – sometimes heroes wear bathrobes, not a cape!

Share this if you’re thankful for the unwavering strength of a mother’s love.

Source: InspireMore

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