Two Elephants in a Bathtub

About the Book

The doctors said Mom couldn’t be alone. In June, I resigned from my teaching position, packed some belongings, and headed south—with three kids, two cats, and a dog—to St Augustine, Florida, to take care of mom. Mom had been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a respiratory disease, and every breath exhausted her. I thought Mom and I could fight this illness together. I pictured happy days where we would picnic as a family at the beach, tour the town for garage sales, eat at wharf-side restaurants, and spend long nights watching classic television. Instead, Mom’s illness took hold of our whole family. We began twenty-four-hour care. Mom needed us, and we were vigilant. Our life became emergency-room waits, hospital visits, pharmacy runs, and long nights of asking for God’s help. Two Elephants in a Bathtub is a chronological account of those days. Mom’s courage enveloped our family. I pass this story along with pride and hope that it will inspire any family with an elderly relative battling against time and terminal illness. This isn’t a story about loss. This is a story about love.

About the Author

Three cheers for this Jersey girl who grew up to love the Bible, baseball, and the Beatles. Author, teacher, and advocate of children, Penny Wagner earned the knowledge that no two people are alike and that we all possess the inert ability to “make the world a better place.” The hero of her favorite book is the grandpa in Barbara Cooney’s Miss Rumphius. The grandpa in this award-winning children’s book is a seascape artist who allows his granddaughter to paint the clouds in the sky while telling her, “You must travel to faraway places, own a cottage by the sea, and find a way to make the world better.” “Yesterday,” written by Paul McCartney is a reflection of Ms. Wagner’s life, not living with regrets, but recognizing that life binds our past to the present and the future. She will complete the scrabble of her life, which may be descending now, but she has eons to go as an author, a grandmom (currently just two cats), and a purveyor of truth to share with those who may still come to blossom. When she was a child, her two older brothers enjoyed sporting events with their dad. It wasn’t uncommon for him to bring them to a twilight double header at Yankee Stadium. Ms. Wagner wanted to go too, but they would venture without her, saying, “ You’re a girl.” This is still recorded on her memory. Later, as her brothers got girlfriends or moved into college dorms, she won a place with her dad. Today she is an avid Yankee fan and loves watching the games. Ms. Wagner resides in St Augustine, Florida, and her gentle companion is a yellow lab named Kingsley. Her favorite pastime is walking Kingsley by the sea.