If you are a caregiver for a elderly parent or grandparent with Alzheimer’s then you know that the good days are scarce and far between each other. No one can prepare you for the unknown roller coaster ride of emotions that caregivers go through when they are caring for your elderly parent. Having to explain to your mom on an almost daily basis who you are and what’s your name? This can be very hard to take sometimes.
Without going through all of the Downs of taking care of an Alzheimer’s patients and let me tell you there are a lot of downs, a whole lot of downs. Which are a whole lot more tolerable with someone in your corner to help, so I take this opportunity to thank my wife for doing an incredible job with assisting me in the caretaking of my mother.
Thank you Anita. I know it’s hard for out-of-town family members to stop by and see mom but I do know they care. Knowing that mom is cared for is a comfort for them not realizing the difficulty of the task. This becomes a common thing when one sibling takes on the responsibility of caretaking of an elderly parent. Somehow life just goes on as if everything is normal for everyone else.
Parents are important in a child’s life. They work hard, they provide food, safety, love, protection, discipline and hopefully a strong moral compass. It may 2019 and for the most part the first nice and sunny day and for a motorcycle rider living in the Midwest we been waiting for this day for months.
We scheduled a breakout ride to Savannah, IL just to dust off the winter cobwebs. Working the night shift has no affect on my willingness to participate in this breakout ride. Off work 7 o’clock, make it home by 7:45 am, get cleaned up by 8:00 AM, head out to the Meet up place by 8:30 AM, kickstand up at 9:00 AM and we are ready to ride. That was my plan.
But mom is up early and surprisingly she knows who I am. I can see in her face that she is having a good day, the look of confusion is not in her eyes and as I walk in the door she says good morning baby how was your night. We have breakfast oatmeal, bananas and juice. My phone is blowing up. Are you on your way? How long will you be? Just go ahead I text back. I’m not going to make it today. Mom is having a good day.
So after breakfast we start working in the yard cutting the grass and mom is sitting on the sidelines waving. She asked let me get a ride on that thing. I say okay and put her on the riding mower. Around and around and around, moms having a ball. The radio on V 103 Chicago with Sundance and she’s playing a battle of the best. Mom seems to remember a lot of old songs that were playing her foot tapping to the beat and even singing along with some of the songs.
We had fish sticks and French fries for lunch and she complemented on their crispiness and how good everything tasted. We finished off the day with me sitting outside smoking a cigar and mom sitting in her chair dipping her snuff.
Today it was a good day for mom. Tomorrow I don’t know how she’ll be but today was a good day for mom. I’m glad I took the time to spend this time with my mother because tomorrow is not promised to anyone. Don’t wait for Mother’s Day to call your mother, call her today and make her day a good day.
Smoke that over. I Am Human Are You?
#IamHumanRu