A Glimpse of Christmas Past...2006

Today was an odd sort of day.  I went Christmas shopping and only bought two presents.  I saw a lot of "things" but nothing that really caught my eye.  Very little followed me home.  For me that is unusual. 

When I returned home I couldn't decide what I wanted to do. I wasn't hungry, wasn't tired and didn't want to do any work.  I ended up in my art room.  I can always find something to do in there.  Today was no exception, soon I was lost in pictures and old journals. 

I sat down in the middle of my "mess" and had a visit with Mama. 

I revisited the Christmas of 2006.  It was a good visit or as good as it could be considering Mama was in a nursing home and was slowly loosing her mind to Alzheimer's.  Daddy was trying his best to spend as much time with Mama as possible. Eventually he had his schedule worked out to where he spent at least 8 hours with Mama every day.  It wore him out.  I was 350 miles away and still working full time.  I could make it home once a month and stay about 5 days.  That rested Daddy some, but not enough.  It was an odd time in our lives.  A time I would not want to relive, yet here I sat in the middle of my floor, remembering the Christmas of 2006.

                  
If a person has to be in a nursing home, then ICF in Clinton, Kentucky is the place to be. Mama was content to be there, at that point in her life. 

When Mama entered the nursing home she was given a life size baby doll.  It brought Mama more joy than any diamond she ever owned. She loved that doll. It was real to Mama and while I was with Mama she was almost real to me. I found myself taking care of the baby like I would a child.  If Mama laid her down, I would go find her...fast!  The "baby" was seldom out of her arms. When she was misplaced, I was on the hunt for the baby.

I shopped for the baby.  Mama had long sense lost any interest in clothing for herself, but she was delighted when her "baby" received a new outfit. I kept that baby dressed to the nines. It was an odd pleasure for me, a gift I could still share with Mama.

Mama was continually giving her "baby" kisses. I saw small glimpses of what a good, young mother she must have been.  I liked what I saw. No wonder I am such an incurable romantic, I was surrounded by love at an early age. And that is a good thing a very good thing indeed. Every child should be so blessed.