Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms, grandmothers, stepmothers, godmothers, foster mothers, and mothers-to-be. This weekend (at least for those of us in the Northeast) is often the first lovely, warm, sunny time to be out of doors with the family doing things together. We rake, reseed, plant, weed, and mulch our yards and gardens or take time out to go for a hike in the springtime that promises summer is coming. We get the grills out and cleaned and let the family cook for us and wait on us instead of the other way around. It is a time of joy, newness, relaxation, and hope.
Over the years of living with multiple sclerosis, I have discovered this day is also often a day when I can succumb easily to being overheated. With that, my MS symptoms can often reawaken and put a damper on the day’s activities. You would think that after more than 20 years of knowing this to be a cause of problems, I would recognize immediately and take action to get ahead of this. But it often takes someone noticing I am not my usual chipper self to get me into the shade or remind me to put on a vest, collar, or hat to assist in cooling me down and putting that spring back into my step. After a long winter with much time spent indoors, we naturally want to go and do things that, for us, are rites of spring, things that get us closer to nature, the soil, and our families. For those of us with MS, that may mean preparing our loved ones to pick up on cues that may save the day and keep the joy in time together.
To read this article in its entirety click here:MS and Motherhood