I cringe each time the phone rings. I pray that I don't see the name of my mother's assisted living facility on that caller ID. Wednesday nite. 8:30. Oh no.“Hello, Carol?”
“Hi, Mom.”
“Carol, I can’t find my car keys anywhere, and I don’t have any money!”
“Mom….You haven’t driven for quite a while. You sold your car, remember? What do you need money for?”
“Well….I need to drive to the grocery store. There’s nothing in the house to eat.”
“Okay, Mom. What do you need?”
“I need bread, milk, and lemonade. And money. I have no money.”
“Mom, I promise to come tomorrow and bring you bread, milk and lemonade. And money. You sound tired, Mom. It’s 8:30. Why don’t you go to sleep. Don’t worry about anything. I’ll come tomorrow. Promise.”
“But my hair! It got wet when I showered.”
“It’s okay, Mom. Tomorrow is Thursday and Annie will be in the beauty shop. She’ll come and pick you up and wheel you down there. She’ll wash and set it for you.”
“Okay. Will you pick me up? I can’t find my keys.”
She had been doing so well. She has no need for groceries. Her three meals are served to her in the facility's beautiful dining room. And there is no need for money. They are discouraged to have any. She's forgotten where she is again. We hadn’t seen signs of dementia for some time. Not like this. And here it was rearing its ugly head once again. How long would it last this time?
Thursday. Head to the grocery store to get bread, milk and lemonade. Don’t forget the money. Sigh.
Then I headed straight to Wendy's. “Please let this work, God. Please. Just one more time."
When I arrived, there was Mom, hair freshly ‘coiffed’, sitting on the sofa. "Oh, you're here! Did you find my keys?".
“Mom……how about a Frosty?” She smiled. Thank you, God. And Wendy's!
15 comments:
Oh sweetie, it is so heartbreaking when the parent becomes the child. So tenderly written, and with such obvious love, she certainly must be a remarkable lady to have a grown daughter like you.
(I'm thrilled to make your acquaintance.)
You're making me blush! I added you to my favorite blogs. That Veronica......phew!
hahahaha! She was quite a force to be reckoned with, 'tis true.
Thank you so much for listing me, I'm honoured. I have also returned the compliment - okay, I lie, I AM retuning the compliment (wink) - blogger and I knock heads on the technical front every now and then, but I'm working on it.
I am so sorry for the worries that go along wit this season of life. It is so hard when we become adult enough to realize that our parents are not perpetually strong anymore and the tables turn to find us doing the nurturing. It is wonderful that you can still have so many treasure times with your mom and you are the first persn she thinks to call when she is unsure.
Thank you for sharing this time here. It blesses me that you are so transparent.
Thank you, Jules. The transparency helps me. I hope my 'exposure' will help others to see that although this road is rough, it has its blessings, too.
There's no doubt in my mind that Frostie's are a miracle food.
Blessings to you and your family. I can see by your writings that you're aware of the many angels among us. Sometimes we all just need a little help getting across the broken rocks we find in our path. If that help happens to be a Frostie, so be it.
Thank you for your kind comment on my blogsite. I'll be back to read and shop. :>) AnnieH
Thank you, Annie! I'll use whatever help I can get, be it Frosties or kind blog comments from wise bloggers like you!
Carol, I understand what you are going through with your Mom and my thoughts and prayers are with you.. We went throught the same thing with my 96 year old Grandmother. How my heart goes out to you both!
I agree with shrinky It's so sad when our Parents/Grandparents become the child.
Your Mom is so very blessed to have such a caring Daughter.
Hang in there sweetie!
I have said a prayer for you and your Mom.
Hugs & blessings ~Mary~ :-}
PS yes Thank God & Wendy's LOL...
Mary...thank you for your prayers and kind words. I offered a special prayer for Isabella this morning at mass. I pray that they can find a medication to help sweet children like her who develop ra at such a young age. My mother suffers terribly with it. It's not a nice disease.
Thought of you tonight...we stopped at Wendy's for dinner. Hope held up her box of french fries and said, "Mama? What does this say on the back?"
Are you ready?
"It's impossible to frown while eating a Frosty."
Hugs!
Mel...that is unreal! I guess God and Wendy's really are workin' together where my Mom is concerned! Thank you SO much for sharing that!!
xoxoxo
Nice Mom has you to lean on! What a great girl she raised!
:0)
Tara
Tara.. Carol is every mother's dream of a daughter.
Thank you for your kind visit and generous comments, Carol. So good to meet you.
Dementia is a dreadful thing, and so, so difficult to live alongside. Wishing you the strength and all the love you can ever need to keep loving your Mum through it all....
First time here and my heart is already heavy for you. I went through this to a lessor degree with my grandma a few years ago. Hang in there, you'll make it through.
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