Today was our annual "Cousin's Picnic" --- a family tradition that has passed down in the generations for years now. Mom and Dad used to host some of these reunions at our house when we were little. Mom was missed by all. After breakfast, a bunch of the cousins piled into cars and went to visit mom. Angelo (the cousin who sang "Come meet the Mets" a few weeks ago to mom) was one of the cousins who came with us. Mom was more alert today than yesterday thank God. When I arrived there at 7:45 a.m., mom was moving much more than yesterday. When the clan of cousins arrived, mom moved around a lot and even opened her eyes a lot but mostly briefly---once for over a minute. We decided to play a CD that dad brought that had old songs on it like, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," "America the Beautiful" and "My Darling Clementine" among others. As the music played, JoAnn, Dad, Anthony, Con, me, Madeline, Angelo, Anthony Michael and Samantha all sang the songs to her. As we happily belted out the tunes, mom moved around on the bed in the middle of our group. Angelo and dad pretended to play various instruments and Angelo offered to do a little soft shoe as well! These are the types of good times our family is used to having together---young and old alike. We miss mom.
Each person with mom each day contributes in some way to her well being. Anthony Michael loves to kiss mom (SHE KISSED HIS HAND TODAY!!) and to lay on the bed next to her and snuggle. Samantha, Lenny and Jean wrote beautiful letters to mom. Ava, Sam, Lenny and Anthony Michael do her physical therapy like pros by now....coaxing and encouraging her every step of the way. Samantha's text signature is "believe in miracles" surrounded by 2 hearts. Mom smiled a few times at Angelo singing "Come Meet the Mets" and many of us pledged various things when she wakes up. Dad got teary quite a few times today.
We all left for late lunch and then dad returned to see mom. He said she opened her eyes a lot for him! And when I went back to visit her at 9:00 p.m., she opened her eyes widely for 1 and 1/2 minutes and, though she seemed a bit confused, really looked at me as though she recognized me. Her nurse, who is doing a long weekend shift, said that mom's eyes were open a lot and widely for a long while around 4 p.m. She said that mom is also awake a lot at night too.
Many of the cousins remember mom fondly because she sang at the wedding masses of almost all of them.
A dear friend keeps telling me that "to sing is to pray twice" and that mom will likely wake up singing.... I hope that day is soon.
"...love your neighbor as yourself" Matthew 19:19
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