Yearning for Mam

Yearning for Mamá - The One From Yesteryear, is the story of Sylvia, the caregiver, and losing her role as a daughter. The new responsibilities, initially caused mixed feelings, anger, frustration and guilt. Without the caregiver experience, she struggles as she learns how to care for her mom, as well as how to cope with the difficult times, especially when her mom falls and breaks a hip, a finger, or sprains her back. During these challenging times, Sylvia sympathizes with all the caregivers who do this as a profession.

Later, she must learn to distinguish between forgetfulness and stubbornness when her mom refuses to take her pills or eat healthy food. As challenging as it gets sometimes, there is no thought of putting her mom in a nursing home, especially after witnessing some unfavorable establishments, one was for short term physical therapy, and the other was when she visited a resident at a nursing home.

The story is of her mom and her mom's antics. The story is of her mom's friends, the doctors and even the paramedics. The story is of her mom's children wanting the best for her whether they are hands-on, or from afar. The story is of caring for a mom who can be difficult at times, yet they love her just the same.

At one point, Sylvia realizes that her fears are that of denial. Denial that her mom could be leaving them soon. Denial that she can't do things for herself that she used to do with strength and stamina. Denial that Mom has her own fears. Denial that Mom will slowly become less the mother of yesteryear.

Finally, as Mom's caregiver, Sylvia tries to cling onto the mother from her childhood, but instead she finds her slowly slipping away. With the support of her siblings, she tries to keep her head up, but deep inside she cries in sadness when she can only see the patient, and herself as the caregiver and no longer the daughter.