A Better Day for Mom In spite of the Execution
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
A Better Day for Mom In spite of the
Execution
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Dear Suzy and Kathy,
Mom
was in so much better shape today!
When I arrived around 10:50, she and Carol
were at a table in their dining room, and Mom greeted me, teeth in her mouth,
and said, “Oh, honey, you came the wrong day.”
I asked, “Why?
What’s wrong with today?”
Mom
said, “Today’s the day they’re planning the execution and trying to make it
look bloodless.”
I said, “Wow!
Mom! You have a great
imagination,” and I immediately berated myself (silently) for saying that, but
it didn’t seem to bother her.
I
said, “You’re Carol, right?” to the person I hope was Carol, and she nodded.
I asked Mom if she’d like me to get them
something to eat (I’d left both the soup and the cookies I made at home!), and
Mom said, “Why not?”
Carol
said, “It doesn’t matter,” but Mom liked the idea, so I decided to go to
Safeway as you suggested, Kathy, and get some of their potato soup and a
sandwich.
As
I was leaving the dining area, I heard Mom tell Carol, “That’s my next to the
oldest.”
She’s
never forgotten who we are, and some of the people there don’t even remember
who they are.
When
I got back Joy was at the table with Mom and Carol and doing some water
painting with a group using our Mother’s Day table. Mom and Joy both ate very, very
heartily! Then Joy went off, and Dory
came by to say, “You didn’t come to see me!”
or something like that. So we
invited her to sit at the table, and she did.
Then
Kay came over, and she said something to Mom that was a little bit
confrontational, and Mom responded in a more polite manner, and then Kay said,
“I can’t hear a thing you’re saying!”
“Well,
then, why don’t you lean closer?” Mom
asked gently.
Mother
continued to be very polite and solicitous.
She
gave Joy most of her sandwich.
When
I thought it might be nice to try Mother’s Day again to take advantage of her
much better mental and emotional state, I asked her whether I could go get the
cards we’d given her that day, and she consented.
But
as soon as she saw the one I’d made her, she said, “Yes, I remember this one,
and I put it away in the drawer for a reason.”
Then
she whispered to me, “Don’t you ever bring me anything that could make the
others feel jealous!”
You
may be right, Suzy, that Adele took off with the card that you gave Mom. I didn’t see it, so at least it didn’t make
all the others jealous unless Adele showed it to people.
I brought out Contrary to Popular Opinion, and Mom told me, “Find the simplest ones. Simple.
They’re very slow.”
So
I did, and even I could follow what I was reading.
I
thought it might be nice for Mom to have lunch with the others, and she almost
did.
Divina and another aid brought us
diet soda, which Mom has never drunk to my knowledge. We asked for iced tea, which they brought,
but I guess we could get her iced tea and a straw. That apple juice they serve is really awful.
All
and all it was a really nice hour and a half.
Mother seemed better than she was any of the days I visited last
week. I hope she’s doing as well when
Nan comes tomorrow.
When
I reminded her that Nan would be coming, Mom asked Divina, “Would it be all
right for me to bring a friend to lunch tomorrow?” and Divina said, “Sure.”
So…except
for the opening remark about the execution, Mom seemed to be doing really well!
Love, Tina
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