Somewhere in Time, Her Time!!

The morning was cold and it had rained all night. I knew it was going to be a full day as yesterday I put Karen's car in the shop. Today it was bathe early, clear out of her hall bath, and most of all "mop up my mess". Tuesday is my only day on the road, starting early and working all day. Today adding taking Karen to work early and to make sure I was through to pick her up at 5:00pm.

I dropped off Karen and was away to Bessemer, about a 30 minute drive, to get my 90 year old mom up and going and I never know how she may be this early hour. I rolled up her driveway, and low and behold, the light was on in the dining room shining out into the yard. Mom is up!

She is up alright! I used my key and opened the back door that leading into her breakfast room and there, standing in front of her sink washing dishes is my mom. "What are you doing?" I asked. "I have just finished washing some things and putting them up", was her response. I looked more closely at her work and it was immaculate!

Now remember this lady has suffered from some form of demensia for a number of years but this morning, she was in a world of her own, in someplace in time, now cleaning her cooking utensils. She now was drying the last of them and had them spread out on dish towels neatly on her counter tops. I ask if I could help her and she said "I am just about through!". I opened the utensil drawer and she had put new aluminum foil lining in the bottom and the knives, forks, stirring spoons, spotless, sieves, we all in a nice neat row, ready for the next meal. I stood in wonder! She had not cooked a meal in over 3 years. But not in her mind this morning.

She had, from appearances, slept in her bed, gotten up early and "dressed" and even had on makeup and earrings. She had not eaten breakfast, so she and I had scambled eggs, toasts, OJ, and coffee together. For some reason, I felt real privileged to have been there that special morning of hers. She was in this "wonderland much like when I was a child!"

A newscaster used to sign off with the expression "and only you were there!" I was THERE, and only 'I' can really appreciate this as MY WORDS just not suffient! She will be 90 on December 9th, 2004, going on 100. Happy Birthday Mom!