Alert and Hungry

I sat down next to my sleeping mother and softly touched her arm and she suddenly opened her eyes and was full of energy. Normally, I sit with her and rub her arms and massage her legs and after a while, she groggily wakes up, but not today. The nursing staff said she has been joyful this week and very engaged. They reported that she has been eating very well and is enjoying her food.

A yellow cake with chocolate frosting sat in front of her. When she saw it, her eyes widened and she smiled. She began to eat it, most especially the part with the chocolate frosting. I supplemented her cake with a few Hershey drops. At one point she opened her mouth and I placed a drop in her gaping mouth and was surprised. I said, "I thought you wanted another one," but she replied, "I was yawning." Then we laughed.

As she was cold, I brought her two blanket throws and she exclaimed that she felt so good now. One of the blankets was red and green and I said it looks like Christmas. A woman came by and wanted to go outside, but the nurse, "But it is cold outside." My mother began to sing, "Baby, it's cold outside." She started laughing and said, "I like that song."

Then she pointed to the Christmas hangings around the building, so I started singing a few songs and she began to sing with me. She said, "I never thought I could sing Christmas songs, but I do like them, and I now know that I know the words." She sang Silent Night, Rudolph, Angels we have heard on High, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, and then said, "I really like Silver Bells." So we sang that.

She said, "You must sing some of those songs at church." I do. I told her I was singing in a concert this weekend and then I started to sing some of the Messiah songs. She kept time as I sang them, nodding her head, and tapping her foot.

That led into Communion, when she said, "O, that is good."

She reached out and held my hand and with a surprised look said, "Your hands are very warm. Mine are so cold." Hold my hand then and I'll warm you up.

She saw a photo of a baby on the table and said, "O, he is so cute. Isn't he adorable? He looks like one of my babies. My babies are handsome. That is because they come from me. O, they are good looking."

She then talked about food again, so I brought up some Italian pastries. Do you like cannolis? Well, her scrunched up face told me no. What about pistachio cookies and pizzelles? Yeah. I like those. How about torrone. Slurp. Do you have any? I don't see them anymore. "Well, I sometimes, have one. I really like them? "

"Does Ma make them for you?" Yes, she does. "That is nice. Why does she do that?" Well, she knows I like them? "Does she make them for Rich?" I don't think he likes them, but she'll make them if she knows you like them. "Maybe she'll make some for the girls." I think that would make her very happy.

One of the nurses came by to say goodbye as she was going home for the day. She told us about her husband and that she was looking forward to a day of rest.

We did a little more singing and she conked out. I waited to see if she would wake up again, but she was out soundly. She had her oxygen, she was warmed up, and she was well fed. She seemed very happy.