Mom’s "kids" have been together again this weekend…
Mom’s “kids” have been together again this weekend, doing some visiting and reminiscing about the good old days … and taking turns trying to calm Mom’s unknown fears and troubled mind. We all agree this is about the hardest thing we’ve had to do, watch her slowly get weaker and less aware of her surroundings. Her Alzheimer’s takes a little bit more of her every day now. Often she can’t even remember how to swallow. She has enjoyed it when I read to her, particularly when I read her sister’s history that tells about when they were growing up together. It puts a big smile on her face.
She still makes us laugh, though, and thank goodness she gave us permission a couple of years ago to do just that as this disease progressed. Yesterday I was trying to get her to drink from a straw. I’d put it in her mouth and tell her to close her lips on it tightly and she’d bite it. I’d tell her to suck and she’d blow. She was pretty thirsty and getting frustrated so I told her I’d put some water in the straw and drip it in her mouth … which I proceded to do. The first time it worked great. The second time I put the straw in her mouth and she put her lips around it and blew all that water right in my face. My sister and I burst into laughter and Mom looked so surprised and then laughed because we were laughing. It was worth the wet face to hear her laugh again.
Today I was helping her change her shirt and accidently bumped her chin with my elbow … it wasn’t a bad bump but I felt bad about it and was kissing it and apologizing and she was looking at me funny. I said, “Well, Mom, now we’re even for the water you blew in my face yesterday.” She remembered it and she laughed a 2nd time. I really miss her laughs … she doesn’t get most of what goes on so of course nothing is funny to her anymore. I don’t know if we’ll get another one from her but the two I heard this weekend were a nice gift.
Material things mean nothing to her now. She has her family and she still knows Jesus. She hasn’t forgotten Him and can still quote her favorite scripture by heart if you get her started: Proverbs 3:4-5 “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
