Lately, my wife and I have been in a situation that has caused us to reflect upon the way our lives twist and turn and never quite turn out the way we had planned. My mother-in-law, Jane, is facing some serious health problems. As we help her in her struggle we can't help but think about her life and how much we wish things could have turned out better for her.
In 1951 Jane was a twenty-year-old member of the Women's Army Corps. She had grown up in a Pennsylvania coal town and, from what I hear, had a pretty rough childhood. The army was part escape and part adventure. She became a driver and traveled quite a bit, driving officers to other bases and even to Washington, D.C.
When she met Doug everything changed. They married in April of 1952, and my wife was born in March 1953. They headed to Kentucky to make their future in Doug's home state. Things were tough, but like most young couples, they had dreams of more children, happy times, grandchildren, and many years together.
Well, we know things are never that simple, are they? Complications from Linda's birth prevented more children. Doug had his first heart attack at age 29 and was never again in good health. Of course, all the medical problems through the years were a financial hardship. Jane worked twenty-plus years at a sewing factory. During that time Doug had several more heart attacks, then at age 55 he suffered a stroke that left him bedridden and child-like until his death eight months later.
Now Jane is sixty-nine, a widow, in poor health, and of course, worried about how she can afford to be sick. It all seems so sad; how can things turn out like this? These were supposed to be the "golden years". The amazing thing is Jane is still able to look back and have happy memories and focus on the positive things. I guess that maybe the twists and turns make us flexible and resilient. I hope so.
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