Shannon M Boyce

How often do Mom's lay awake at night, worried about the meds off their families? Financial security? Health and safety?

I lay here, my mind restless, watching the clock tick by and thoughts wandering. As I count down the hours of remaining potential sleep, I'm unable to stop my overthinking brain long enough to fall back asleep and get some rest. I drift to my Mom and question how often has that happened to her? When it has, what thoughts plagued her mind with restlessness? Was she ever able to find her way back to sleep? Or did her mind torment her with the endless lists of chores that she could never recall during the day. I begin to think again about how often she would find herself tirelessly making things happen that needed to happen. How did she find the time to do all she did, not only for herself, like going back to school or working a full time job, but also everything she did for us. She was present for every parent/teacher conference, spring event, school dance, performance, graduation, big and small precious moments. Mom was always around.

She is my super hero. Countless times she's saved the day for me. Selfless and there in an instant.

I think about how tough she is! She was a single mother of two girls, co-patterning the third. She walked through fire to get sober, to take care of her kids and herself. She bent over backwards to pay bills. She dragged herself through school, twice, and in both instances to better herself for her children and her future.

My Mom has been selflessly giving her money, time, effort, and love to her family, friends, and her community. In her busy schedule she finds times to give back to her community by volunteering at Good Health Will. She doesn’t ask for much and when she does it’s help to do something she has probably already tried to do five times herself.

When it comes to health, she tends to put herself last. My mother has been putting off getting a massive oral surgery because of the financial burden. When it comes to money she never holds onto enough for herself. She'd rather lend it to friends and family in need with no hard expectations or deadlines of being paid back.

After several years of trying to convince Mom that she needed to put her health first, she finally decided to move forward with the surgery. I promised her I would help her with the financial burden by matching her payments so we could try to pay it off in half the time to cut down the interest of the loan, which would nearly double. I’m worried about being able to fulfill my promise, and the total debt building to become unmanageable.

How did one human support 3 humans? How did my mother do what she did for me and my two sisters?

The more I lay awake the more frantic my mind switches from thought to thought. It’s back to thinking of how I can work more to make more to help pay off this loan faster, because I’ve asked how she did what she did with us kids… and it was… loans.

She’s told me of her experiences and how she took them out for all of us kids, even herself. As I recall our past conversations, I’m am still astonished, on how loans can turn from a saving grace to a crushing fear and financial burden. I understand why she didn't want to take out a loan to pay for her surgery. Debt is scary and overwhelming. At times interest nearly doubles what you end up paying. My mom is a humble nurse at a start up private doctors practice and she makes good money, and I am a Body Movement coach who makes good money as well, well it’s enough to meet the living requirements for now in Northern Colorado.

Then, I think about what else she said helped during her times of need, things like family and friends. Who gave support with love, time, advice, emotional support, hugs, and even sometimes financial support.

I check my phone and it’s just nearing 4 am, I’m praying for just a few hours of sleep as my mind has been working overtime, a new thought came to me.

Maybe I could ask for help, for help to pay off this looming loan. I think to myself I can ask for help from my family, my friends, and my community. The same community of family and friends who has received so much love, time, and effort from my mother, my sisters and myself.

Whatever can be given is so greatly appreciated. A simple, small gift can make more of an impact than you might initial think. My goal is $20,000 to help cover the costs for this massive oral surgery that is giving my mother the ability to enjoy food and confidently smile again.

This is how I can help take care of her the way she took care of me. As a kid I knew two things and they were the most important things a child should ever know; everything was always going to be ok and I was always loved!

I want my Mom to know the same things, she is so very loved and everything will always be ok. At this thought, I slowly drift back to sleep, and felt like the most restful 3 hours I’ve had in a long time.

Thank you for reading and your donations. We are so grateful that you have gifted some of your hard earned workings with to our family. We appreciate the gift and are sending you so much love!

Thank you again,

Amanda Boyce