I’m delighted to have a genuine Southern girl as my guest today, Love Inspired author Winnie Griggs. She shares about her mother and also is offering a book giveaway. So be sure to leave a comment. Here’s Winnie:
“Lyn, thank you for inviting me to post here today. I want to talk out the woman who has been the biggest inspiration in my life – my mom.
There were lots of lessons I learned at my mother’s knee –
the value of hard work, good manners, respect for others. And above all else, my mom infused me with a sense that I could do whatever I set my mind to.
But it was later in life that she taught me another great lesson – how to show grace through adversity. At age 51 my mother was diagnosed with lymphoma and had to go through chemotherapy. It was a scary time for all of us, but mom endured it with little complaint. She came out on the other side eventually and she’s been in complete remission ever since.
A few years later her father, a widower, had a stroke
and could no longer live alone. Not only did mom and dad take him in, but they built an additional room onto their home to accommodate his needs. My grandfather lived with them for a number of years and his care took up much of mom’s world during that time. Eventually his health declined into dementia but still mom kept him with her until he needed more care than she could provide. Still, mom visited him faithfully every week for the rest of his life, even though he often didn’t know her.
Some years later, my father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
Again, the primary care fell on my mother’s shoulders. For a time daddy needed only minimal help. But as the years passed, he suffered a number of small strokes, and began to need more and more assistance. Eventually mom let all of her social activities fall by the wayside as she took on his full time care. Even when we, her children, offered to relieve her, she never took more than a few hours break at a time. She fought hard to keep him home with her as long as possible, but eventually his condition required that he have the kind of medical attention he could only get in a nursing facility. Again, mom spent most of her time at his bedside until he eventually passed on.
Today Mom is still an active, generous woman
who takes joy from life, and who gives of herself to others in many large and small ways. I am in awe of the strong, generous woman she is and am so very proud to be her daughter.
To purchase, click here. A Family for Christmas (Texas Grooms (Love Inspired Historical))
Eve Pickering, the heroine of A Family For Christmas, also has a heart for helping others. Her whole life she’s been made to feel a burden to her family and has now been banished to another town where a job awaits her. But as the story a 10 year old stowaway on her train is being booted off. Unable to leave the boy alone in a strange town with no one to look out for him, she stays with him, allowing the train to leave without her, even though she knows no one in this town and has never been on her own before. Of course our hero steps in quickly to come to their aid and our story is off and running!
I love hearing from readers! There’s several different ways you can connect with me – below are some of them.”–Winnie
Contact info:
Email: winnie@winniegriggs.com
Website: www.winniegriggs.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WinnieGriggs.Author
What a lovely story, Winnie. That is grace under pressure. My husband and I built our home with a mother in law’s suite in it, but neither of our mothers ever lived there. Instead my daughter came to live with us when she had serious health problems. Winnie is offering a signed copy of this book to one commenter. Leave a comment to enter the drawing.
QUESTIONS: Have you ever had to bring a family member or friend to live with you? What did you learn from the experience? OR have you been able to help your family in other ways?–Lyn
“–Janet
