My mom has PLS

It’s good I got to this contest in time. I was scrolling through Facebook or Insta and saw this contest and I thought about what to enter. I love using my brain. I don’t really need the money particularly, however, it’ll surely help my family with times being so hard right now. They’ll have more faith in what I do. I’ll explain. We’re an African-American family. We’re going through the same bullshit other blacks go through in this country. I’m blessed I haven’t had a cop pull a gun or me, been called a n****r in public, or have to use a COLOREDS ONLY restroom. I reside in Atlanta where racial tensions are less futile. The white people are way more friendly over there. That’s a joke. I’m not racist. Can’t be. But that’s another article. I recently moved back to Missouri City, TX to help my mom because she has a rare disease called PLS. That’s 20 minutes from Houston. Racism here is more likely. But I digress from that. PLS is a motor neuron deficiency disease my dear mom has. She can’t talk, walk straight, and has problems eating. She’s so frail. She’s at home all the time. Not bed ridden and I pray it doesn’t come to that. When she has to express herself it’s hard on me because I can hardly tell if she’s laughing or crying when she needs something. It gets scary. She has a communicator on her phone that reads her texts. I miss her voice, though... My dad is stronger than me. He helps her shower, in therapy, and use the bathroom. He’s a good man for it, but it’s hard on me because I will always remember my mom in a much more different and fun way. Athletic, getting up to work early, jumping around to Frankie Beverly and Maze, cooking the best fried fish you’ve ever had on the weekends. I know Christmases won’t be the same... My mom was really vocal and active. Actually, I don’t know how my dad does it when he takes care of her. My mom always said she didn’t want no nursing home if she ever got old and sick. My father obides. She’s only 66. He, 67. I know he took those ‘vows’ seriously. He’s a good man, but it’s just hard on me being her son. I think about girls I date seeing my mom and maybe they’ll get scared I’ll end up like her and dump me. Sometimes I get scared and think I’ll end up with PLS. I pray I don’t. I don’t want PLS!! Please understand that I’m not selfish and I do love my mom. I’m not writing this for money. You can count how many times I’ve said it. I guess a result of this is that the persons reading live every day like it’s their last. Carpe Diem. That’s the phrase. Don’t take walking for granted. Don’t take bathing for granted. Don’t even take eating for granted. Live, live, live. But live right. One day you’re here and the next you could be gone. At least try to live by that in this sad world. Life is so bittersweet. That’s what I’m seeing at my age. I’m 34. I pray my mom makes a FULL RECOVERY. She’s in rough shape, however, I still pray. I know there’s a God. He’s always good. Uhhhh, it’s hard. I guess you can tell from this entry I write professionally and you would be correct as shit. Like I said, I don’t ‘need’ the prize but it would help my family out and help them to believe in me to be a great writer. Be blessed.