A Very Good Day

Since I have friends from out of town visiting on Thursday, I saw my mother today. The day itself was lovely with temperatures in the mid-80's on a near-cloudless day. I made sure I had my mother's Hershey Drops so she could get her chocolate fix.

When I saw my mother, she was folding a towel and folding her extra tissues. She saw me and gently started weeping, "You are so young and beautiful and I am so old." "Yes, you are old, and you are beautiful." "I can't stop crying. When I see you, I just become so happy."

We talked for a while and a staff member brought her some apple juice. After tasting it, she grimaced. "Too tart for you?" "Yes, but I'll drink it so I don't offend them." "Would you like a Hershey Drop? "Ugh, I'm full, but just one." I opened the package and realized I needed a plate and a spoon because those drops became Hershey Soup. So, I got her a spoonful and her eyes lit up, and she said, "That's enough. I'm full."

She said, "I just finished making spaghetti with Ma and Pa, and Betty helped."
"Did you make it from scratch?"
"Of course. We always do. We just ate a lot of it. I can barely move."
"And did you make sauce as well?"
"No. Nancy did that. And she made roast beef and potatoes and lots of vegetables. She started it but we all helped out and then we ate."

"Did you talk with Ma?," she asked?
"I did. She liked it when the family eats together. She was very happy. So was Pa. And Dawn Mari just ate and ate (making a shoveling motion.)
"I wish Betty would come. Have you seen her lately?"
"I did. I saw her the other day. She was asking about you."
"She was? She's not mad at me? Maybe she might like me again?"
"O, she likes you. She was telling me some fun stories about your time with her. She said she will stop by soon."
"O, that is good."

We talked about food a lot. "I never ate," she said, "because I didn't want people to get mad at me. I would cook a meal and someone would get upset if I ate some of their food. I never felt comfortable eating."

Finally, I asked if she would like to receive communion. "Yes, Of course. Is Rich coming? Has he even received communion?"
"He is not here today to receive communion."
"I want him to. He is shy but he will come."
"He'll come when he is ready."
"And Sharon?"
"When she is ready."
"And my other children? What about these people here in the church? I thought I was alone. Are they all receiving?"
"Yes, they are receiving."
"I thought I was alone. I have always felt alone in life but there are people who feel the same way I do. I'm really not alone."
"You've never been alone."
"And all these people in church. They need the same thing too."
"Yes, that is why they are here. There's lots of people in the same boat."
"I'm learning I am not alone. I like that. I always felt like I did not belong, but I know I do."
"Yes, you do. And you always belonged."

I read to her a section of Matthew's Gospel, "The first commandment is to love one another, and the second is like it: love your neighbor as yourself. The moment I gave her communion, she fell asleep. I first tried to coax the sacred host into her mouth, but that didn't work, so I tried to pull it out, but that didn't work, so I let her nap for a few minutes.

When she awoke, she wanted a tissue to blow her nose. She took the host out of her mouth and held onto it. She dabbed her nose and with one hand folded the tissue, holding onto the host with the other hand. She then started talking and I encouraged her to consume the host. She wiped her eye with it, and held it in her left hand. After adjusting herself in her seat, I finally convinced her to put the host in her mouth and to swallow it.

After consuming the host and closing her eyes in prayer, she said:

"I am all set now. I wasn't always ready, but now I am. I used to think I was a terrible person, but I don't believe that anymore. I am a nice person, and I brought up a nice family, and I had nice parents and sisters. I'm very happy about that. I now know that I am a good person."

"Of course, you are, and you are loved."
"I know that. And I love my family and all the people around me. And I'm a good person. I have come to know that."

Just then, an activities director came over to collect people for exercising. I asked, "Would you like to exercise with your friends?"
"I don't see why not. Is it OK if I do it?
"Yes, I want you to exercise."
"OK. You won't be mad if I leave you?"
"Not at all. Look everyone is waiting for you. Everyone wants you because they love you."
"OK" "I love you to."

As I left, I looked back in the direction of my mother. She and another resident were holding hands as they comforted one another. They both smiled at each other and held hands.