Author: Jen Rios

I’ve only seen this commercial twice on TV but both times, it made me cry! I do not, nor will I ever, drive a Toyota (growing up, my  bread was buttered with GM money) but this is a really good commercial! Got me in my feels! if my Mom’s name began with an, “S,” it would be over!  My Dad’s name is Ramon.

CLICK TO VIEW COMMERCIAL

In all my years of writing this blog, I have made it no secret that MS is a mean disease.  It  strips away your abilities so slowly that you don’t even realize  your abilities are being stripped away until you no longer can do  something  on your own.    But, still at this point you don’t realize your ability is stripped away until it is brought to your attention. In recent events, the stripping away of my abilities has been brought to my attention.   It didn’t feel good.

I have written about PBA before in this blog and my inability to properly express my emotions  is problematic at times. It’s more problematic if that expression of emotion is tears rather than laughter.   Laughing, although it can be annoying at inopportune times, tears are just plain disturbing.

My Dad told my Mom years ago, years before he died, that me having MS was going to be, “bad.”  How, “bad” it was going to be, I had no clue.   I didn’t read about this disease once I was diagnosed, it was just too scary and depressing.   I wouldn’t have believed it  if I read it anyway!   Anything, “bad” was not going to happen to me! My Mom did not tell me that my Dad told her this until about a year ago, A full decade after his death! Now that I know he said this years ago, I am grateful that my Mom did NOT tell me.

It has been in the gradual stripping away of my abilities that my Mom has become my caregiver.   I did not realize this until a few months ago. I am her daughter. I thought we were just “hanging out.”   But that isn’t the case all of the time. My mom knew this before I did. Well, my Mom is the best caregiver in the world!

I am not going to pretend that this “care-taking” has been easy for either one of us for so many reasons! There are many times when we are not each other’s “favorite person.”   Thus far, throughout this almost 17 year journey, I have maintained a lot of my independence  on paper.  Sean and I still live by ourselves. Today, I realize this maintenance of my independence is dependent  upon my Mom.

This realization has been a bit overwhelming  for me today.   It’s only when it is brought to my attention,  like it has been as of late, that I realize how  stripped away my abilities are and how dependent I am upon my Mom for my independence. PBA sucks almost as much as MS does.   Sean and my mom are less affected by my tears now that they know that I cannot control the expression of my emotions having undiagnosed PBA. It still disturbs me  though!  I just can’t stop crying!

I am beyond grateful for my Mom  for so many reasons! Those of you who know her, know that that is something that is easy to feel! I wanted to write something today because tomorrow is my Tenex  procedure for my knee. I am nervous! I don’t know what to expect really. Wish me luck Kids! (I wrote, “Kids” because in addition to everything else, I miss  addressing my students as “kids.”)   Please offer up or send me your thoughts, prayers, and/or good vibes. It’s SO much appreciated! I  promise to write as soon as I can!…

So, U2 has been my favorite band forever but I was asked in college who my favorite band was and I said without hesitation, U2.  I started watching NFL football in 2009 when Sean started playing city football for Dearborn.   He was on the same team as my nephew and started when he was seven but he played as if  he was  an eight-year-old because his birthday is in November. My nephew’s birthday is in December so he turned 10 at the end of the season.

We always  would joke because my son was the youngest and my nephew was the oldest and they were on the same team.   I knew all the football positions  when I was in high school but seeing a bunch of kids with their helmets bigger than their shoulder pads running around bumping into each other, it got a little confusing so I started watching the Lions (post 0-16)  to see what it was supposed to look like. I LOVE football now!

It has become my routine since my knee injury to watch Good Morning Football every morning since I was not teaching.  All this week, everyone let us know that Bono is going to be on the show.  I was beyond excited!  I got to see a clear-cut moment where my worlds collide.  GMFB  tweeted this picture yesterday and I think I may have to frame it!

There are many times that I wish I was in Kay Adams shoes but I think this moment is the moment I wished the most I were in her shoes!  I got out of bed early and put my contacts in to make sure I saw the first run of the show. I wouldn’t mind being Kyle Brant either.

But really thinking about it, I think it would be more like when I saw U2 in concert. Bono popped up onto the stage through a trap door below the stage when I saw them for the Vertigo tour in 2005.   I gasped when he showed up on stage and thought, “Me and Bono are sharing the same air!”   We really weren’t because my seats were not that good but I was so shocked to actually be in his presence.

He started singing my favorite song at that time (“In a Little While”)  a cappella and wanted the crowd to sing-along. I belted it out as loud as I could but because I was so far away from the stage, he couldn’t hear me so he stopped singing it.   He said, “No?  Maybe next time.”

I watched both broadcasts of the show and the interview about six times and I was such a fan!  I thought I could draft the blog post in the commercials but I was breathless after seeing him and hearing the breakfast table talk about the interview.   I just woke up from a nap because I pooped out because I was so excited this morning! I really liked that my worlds collided today and I liked hearing  from Kyle Brandt that Bono is a hugger!