Mom had a really amazing day. She was really sleepy and out of it from 12-3 but then became more alert later in the day and evening, as well as early in the morning. She moved around --- her feet, ankles, toes, arms, fingers on right hand, head as usual. She moved her left leg again today---lifted it right off the chair foot rest!!! She followed directions to open her eyes, touch her head, mouth and nose. She said the following words in response to our asking her questions: "Yeah" "What" and she said "NO" several times too!! She even audibly said "OW!!" out loud...not just mouth it as she does the other words she says. Mom also opened her eyes a total of 44 times by the time I left at 7:30 p.m.---who knows how many more times she opened them? She was really, really trying to talk to Aunt Carol, Dad and I...making gutteral sounds and moving her mouth around...
Her day began with a visit from Claudia...then Anthony, Anthony Michael, Sam, and I came. Dad joined us around 12:30. At 2:30, Flo, Flo and Maureen came to celebrate her birthday---the birthday girls. Lenny, Con, Anthony, Sam, John, Ava, Dad, Aunt Carol, Terry, Claudia, Fay, and I all saw her from 4:30 on.
Fay, from mom's church choir, came to sing to mom as she always does. She brought a hymnal and she and Ava and I sang "The Prayer of St. Francis" "Eagle's Wings" and then Ava and Fay sang "The Servant's Song"....there wasn't a dry eye in the room...there we all were, gathered around her...singing as she moved her feet and arm and head...the nurse's aides even left the room in tears as well. It was a difficult day for us all but I know that we all felt the prayers of our family and friends. We thank you all for that.
I found an old e-mail from 2006 from mom...it was about the grandkids and it just tells so much about our family and mom:
Dear Kath:
I know you will understand the thoughts I've just had as I was doing some much neglected chores.
I was wiping fingerprints off the walls especially from the dining room to the living room, from the dining room to the kitchen, the refrigerator. You'll never believe this; but as I wiped them, I almost had tears---the lower ones belonged to Samantha and Anthony, mid-height to probably Ava, tall ones to Lenny and Jean. Of course most of them were there quite a long time, not only just yesterday. Although the prints weren't there that long, I remembered and pictured each child laboring to go down those steps into the living room, going into the refrigerator for a cool drink, or for a cucumber, an apple. I heard them playing outside. From now on, as I wipe fingerprints off the wall, I'll remember them, and I'll smile.
You won't believe this either; but the next time that Lenny and Ava are here (don't tell them), I'm going to take a picture of the two of them with the "arm pieces" to my blue side chair on their heads. Remember?
How lucky I am, Dad and I, to have our grandchildren so close and to be a small part of their lives.
Love,
Mom
We, too, are so lucky to have had, and still have mom in our lives too. It was a memorable 75th birthday...
"Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!” Proverbs 31: 28-29
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