Wednesday, November 19, 2008

It's Not Getting Older I Mind... It's Getting Old.

I’ve been trying to stop by my mom’s at least once a week. She is so capable, and the last thing she wants is for anyone to consider her old, but I know that at 86, she doesn’t have the energy she once did. Here senses are also not quite as acute. We have a ritual, where I track down the moldy food item producing the offensive odor in her fridge. Once I’ve done that, we make lunch, and then we sit and chat. After lunch, I clean the dishes. I wrap up my visit by wiping off smudges of newsprint she's left on wall switches and doors. She's about 4'10", so it's easy to tell which are the prints she's left behind. Shortly after I leave, she takes a nap. The napping thing is not new to Mom. She has always been a napper – something I inherited from her. Nothing like a great nap to rejuvenate a body!

Mom tells me she doesn’t mind getting older. It’s getting old she hates. I know that Mom appreciates every day of life she’s lived. I also know that as she gets older, things that used to be trivial are now significant issues. When she fell last month, it was scary. I fall, and I’m a klutz. She falls, and the rest of us hold our breaths. She is also more sensitive to harsh words. Mom has never liked confrontation. When I’m feeling a bit “hormonal” and bitchy, I can see my mom flinch. I try to contain these little outbursts, but there are those days…

Earlier this morning, I wasn’t sure I was going to make it by my mom’s today. I’m so glad I made the time. Ever the gracious person, she always sends me on my way with a big hug and says, “Thank you SO much for coming over.” No, Little Mom. Thank you.

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I am a public relations and marketing communications consultant with more than 20 years of experience. I love working with clients who are passionate about the services or products they provide their customers. I take my work seriously, but my sense of humor keeps me from letting life get in the way of my perspective and ability to create. My latest mantra: I'm a work in progress.

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