By AMY SHANKLAND
Sandwiched
My mom’s 89th birthday was yesterday. With her recent cancer diagnosis and how we weren’t able to celebrate last year due to COVID, I wanted to make this day absolutely incredible for her. Thanks to Hamilton County Tourism’s Brenda Myers, Hamilton County Parks, Hamilton County Express, Mom’s facility, and the perfect weather, we reached that goal!
I didn’t want Mom to have a long day, as she tires easily, but I wanted her to get outside for a bit and enjoy something spectacular. Out of the blue a few weeks ago, I thought about Coxhall Gardens in Carmel. We could easily go there thanks to Hamilton County Express. But I wasn’t certain how accessible the park would be, since I would have to push Mom in a wheelchair.
I reached out to Brenda who quickly connected me to Don Nichols, resource development director for Hamilton County Parks. Don didn’t just tell me how accessible things were – he set up our very own tour of the grounds and mansion with Coxhall Gardens Assistant Manager Beth Semester!
Words cannot express my joy about these plans. When I woke up yesterday to see the sunshine and feel the warm temperatures, I was over the moon, as Mom can’t tolerate the cold.
Mom wasn’t even feeling any aches or pains when I met her at the facility. Everyone there made certain she was ready and all gussied up from head to toe. Soon Jesse from Hamilton County Express arrived to take us to our destination. And what a destination it was!
After Beth helped get Mom in the golf cart, we began our tour. Mom especially enjoyed the children’s play area and got to speak to a group of Master Gardeners who were hard at work on the alphabet trail.
We not only were treated to the sights of beautiful flowers and grounds, but the scent of numerous lilac bushes throughout. Beth shared both the history of the park and its future plans.
She parked our cart in a shady spot so Mom and I could enjoy a picnic, then Beth returned to take us on a tour of the mansion. It was like taking a step back in time. We could only tour the first two floors, but got quite an eyeful. Mom loved hearing the Beer Barrel Polka on the jukebox in the ballroom, which was original to the house.
Thanks to Denise from Hamilton County Express, we returned to Mom’s facility. This was where we hit some “bumps” – literally. This vehicle was only able to have Mom strapped in the back vs. the front, where she unfortunately felt every bump. But she was a trooper and we made it back just fine to enjoy our Heavenly Sweets cupcakes back in her room.
After setting up her Skylight frame, a birthday gift from all of us (Google it, it’s awesome for seniors!) I had to leave. I appreciate everyone pulling together to make this a truly memorable day. Happy Birthday, Mom!