In my life, I have received many gifts from my mother. The most important was my life. However, there's another special gift I will never forget. When I grew up, I left home and got a job in South America. One day , a call came from my brother, "Something is wrong with Mom. She's forgetful  . She thinks we're hiding   you from her..." I got back home at once. It was clear that she would not be able to stay in the house alone. For nearly 4 years I stayed with my mother and we had fun. We even planted some vegetables together in the garden. It was not easy for me. I had to stop working. When I had to leave , I had to ask someone to look after her or drive her to my brother's. When it became clear that she was near the end, family memebers were called to come to say their good byes. For 3 weeks my sister and I just sat with Mom, took long walks and spent some real time with each other. My sister and I were both with Mom when she was passing away  , holding her hands and telling her how much we loved her. At the end of life, my mother gave me the gift of time with my sister in a way we would never have given ourselves. The writer spent 4 years   _  .
working hard planning vegetables building a garden looking after her mother