Heather, I haven't read the other replies so if I'm repeating something someone else said, forgive me.
I grew up with a "sick mommy". My mom had IBS (no one knew what it was then) and suffered from clinical depression. She spent one entire winter in bed with a sinus infection (I'm exaggerating of course, but not much!). Sure, there were somethings we didn't get to do. But she was also the sweetest, most fun mommy you could want. She did lots of things with us. She read to us, she sang us lullabies at night. We dyed Easter eggs. We had beautiful Christmas trees. We went to the lake to go swimming. I saw her once at our grade school. She was bringing cupcakes to my little brother's kindergarten class. I was so happy to see my "pretty mommy" there unexpectedly and went running up to her for a hug! When she was sick, we'd bring her Cokes and milk toast (when we got old enough to use the stove). And when we were sick, she'd hold our hair back while we threw up, she'd bring us gingerale floats when we had sore throats, she'd check our fever and say "poor baby."
She taught us to love, she taught us to appreciate art and music and beauty. She taught us how to be strong and gentle at the same time. She taught us that when you're sick, you can't help it, and it's okay.
Now she's 78 and I'm 51 and I love her SO MUCH. I am so proud to be her daughter. I'm teary just writing this. It absolutely does not matter that she was sick so much when we were growing up. We got what we needed. Kids are resilient. They remember things you thought were nothing and they forget things that you thought were a big deal.
So don't worry, Heather. Just love her. Nothing else matters.
-------------------- Laura
Keep it simple!
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