It's been six months since Mackenzie McKee's mother, Angie Douthit, passed away following a lengthy battle with cancer.
Recent episodes of Teen Mom OG captured the aftermath of Angie's passing, and not surprisingly, it was an extremely difficult time for Mackenzie and her family,
The McKee kids were apparently quite close with their grandmother, and Mackenzie is understandably worried about how they're coping with her absence.
In particular, she's worried about the possibility of her son Gannon developing an anxiety disorder.
“I just want him to know it’s OK to come to us and talk to us,” she said to her husband on Tuesday's episode.
Of particular concern to Mackenzie was the fact that Gannon decided to come home early from a sleepover because he was feeling sad.
When she confronted him, Gannon denied that he had been crying, and he described his feelings in a way that Mackenzie interpreted as indicative of an anxiety disorder.
“There’s this thing about me that whenever I go to somebody’s house, it just feels like something bad is gonna happen,” he said.
“I don’t know.”
Mackenzie became concerned that Gannon was hiding his feelings in a fashion similar to his taciturn father.
“One day it comes out in a huge explosion,” Mackenzie said.
“It’s a little weird what he’s saying about feeling uncomfortable. To me, that seems like anxiety.”
Mackenzie's husband, Josh Mckee, suggested taking Gannon to a doctor, but Mackenzie was wary about the possibility of her son being placed on anti-anxiety meds.
“We should always focus on their best interests, and I always want what’s best for them no matter what happens,” she said.
That may sound like an obvious statement, but there's a profundity to it, especially coming from a woman who's coping with the loss of her mother.
Mackenzie and her mother were very close, and Angie's battle with cancer took an incredible toll on the entire family.
Now, she's continuing to inspire with her bravery, even after she's gone.
Mackenzie is going through the most difficult time in her life, and she's still putting her children's needs above her own.
No doubt, she reminds herself that that's what Angie would do.
The death of a figure as beloved as Angie is enough to tear a family in two.
But Mackenzie seems to realize that if she continues to follow her mother's example, the adversity might actually strengthen her bond with her children.
