By AMY SHANKLAND
Sandwiched
I will always treasure my adventure with Mom for her 89th birthday last month. As you may recall, we spent a wonderful couple of hours at Coxhall Gardens thanks to Hamilton County Parks and Recreation and Hamilton County Tourism.
Sadly, adventures like that are over for her. It’s getting hard for her to walk, even a couple of steps. Mom’s had to rely on her wheelchair more and more over these past few months, which is heartbreaking for us all.
The days of taking Mom out to lunch, something that gives her great delight, are gone. We are, however, going to use Hamilton County Express so she can stay in her wheelchair next week. She’ll be briefly visiting with my niece and her seven kiddos next week in Federal Hill Commons. We’re so blessed in our county to have this service!
When my sister Vicky visited Mom a few weeks ago, she brought her lunch and participated in some of the activities at the facility. When I asked Mom about those moments, she positively lit up.
“I didn’t want Vicky to go,” she said.
For some reason, I’ve never joined Mom in her on-site activities. I guess I figured taking her out of there would be better for both of us. Now that this option is dwindling, however, I realize that it’s time for a “new normal.”
Last Friday I met Mom at her facility to play bingo. We had a couple of minutes before things started. She asked me to take her outside to see some of the old cars they were featuring as part of their Father’s Day celebration. I happily obliged!
Even though I got a bit sleepy during bingo, I did take some time to look over at Mom a few times while we played. My heart warmed to see her intently focused on all four of her cards. Mom was in “the flow.” She wasn’t in pain. She wasn’t thinking about cancer. Mom was just enjoying something new in her life that she looks forward to each week.
Today I’ll be joining her to watch a local dance group. I’m excited about it! One of Mom’s greatest loves in life is music. I know she’ll like the performance.
From now on, we’ll have to keep things simple when we spend time together. It’s just another reality on this sandwich generation journey … and that’s okay.