Sandwiched
Okay, folks, time to lift the mood a little. I haven’t talked about my mother, the star of this column, in a few weeks. I think it’s time for a funny story.
Like many children of elderly parents, I’ve been worried about how the pandemic has affected Mom this year. She’s in a wonderful assisted living facility that has remained COVID-19 free – knock on wood. But like all facilities, they’ve had to keep residents pretty much confined to their rooms, only allowing brief hallway walks with masks on.
When I saw Mom during two “drive thru” parades in the spring, my heart sank. You could see that this isolation was taking a toll on her.
Thankfully, her facility started “sunshine visits” in July where we can see our loved ones under a tent, six feet away, with both people wearing masks. It’s only once a week, it’s not perfect, but I’ll take it. I’ve seen Mom every week since and have witnessed some improvement, especially when the beauty shop opened! Like many elderly women, Mom loves to have her hair done once a week. It has definitely lifted her spirits.
I knew Mom was pretty much back to normal, however, when I got a phone call from her three weeks ago as John and I were preparing to leave for a wedding. When I first heard her voice, I recognized the urgent tone that meant, “I need something.” I immediately wondered if I had gotten her enough Boost or Fixodent in her last grocery order.
“Amy,” she began, almost sounding breathless with panic, “I’m completely out of blush and lipstick!”
I admit I had to bite my tongue to not laugh and say “Mom, right now, with having to wear a mask whenever you see someone, I don’t really think that’s the end of the world.” In fact, I’ve read that the makeup and perfume industry has taken a bit of a hit since the pandemic started.
But I quickly realized that, for an 88-year-old woman, a little makeup helps her feel better – more normal, which we all need now more than ever. Heck, makeup helps a lot of women feel better. I admit I still put on a bit every day even when we were on lockdown.
So instead, I said to Mom, “Oh, no! I’m sorry to hear that. What brand and color would you like?” It took me awhile to get both to her, as we were out of town for the wedding, but once I dropped it off and the staff finally delivered it to Mom, she called and thanked me profusely.
It’s important in the sandwich generation to remember how much these little things mean to those we love. Although I’ve been chuckling over this story ever since it happened, I was glad I could step into Mom’s shoes and make her happy.