The View from Here

The text came in a few days ago…

Sure would love to see you! Luv ya! Linda

Mom’s best buddy from the Home for Wayward Seniors is proud of her mad texting skills, and we have enjoyed keeping in touch that way. I felt badly that I had let myself get so busy that I hadn’t gone to visit my friends for a while and made plans to go yesterday afternoon. Linda was over the moon. 

It still tugs on my heart to drive up to Princeton Towers. In my mind’s eye I see Heavy D hunched over her walker, making her laborious way up the ramp. So many memories here, both wonderful and heartbreaking. How grateful that Mom ended up in this special place. 

When I walked into the lobby, it was full of the usual suspects, all sharing the latest gossip of the day. Their faces lit up when they realized it was Mz. Dot’s daughter. 

My, oh, my- you sure is a sight for sore eyes!

I did get ‘the eye’, though, as I didn’t have time to make cookies for them- very rare for me. I assured them that next time I would bring treats. It was so great to go around and hug each sweet senior and ask them how they were doing. I looked down the hall and there came Linda, smiling ear to ear, closely followed by Mom’s other buddy, Joanne. Joanne was shaking her head, chuckling.  

Oh, lord, it is SO good to see you!

After lots of hugs and a bit of catching up, I posed the question…

So, do you guys want to take a ride in the new Mini Cooper to go get a milkshake?

You’d have thought it was Christmas, they were so excited. We made our way back through the lobby (me feeling guilty that I couldn’t take them all) and loaded into the Mini. 

I think Heavy D was shaking her head, because both ladies said they wanted strawberry shakes- sacrilege to Mom. Had to be chocolate every time. When we were almost to the drive-through window, Linda remembered that she couldn’t have strawberry, as she’s been suffering through bouts of diverticulitis. It was Joanne’s lucky day, as we got a vanilla shake for Linda and Joanne got to take both strawberry shakes home. I don’t think she minded one bit. 

We sat and talked, laughing and telling stories about Mom’s escapades, most especially the story of her parading to the laundry room with her ‘unders’ stretched across her walker (unbeknownst to her until too late). It felt so good to be able to talk about Mom with such joy and without the tears with her good friends. 

When I got home, I began to feel all prickly and out of sorts. I sat down to practice and couldn’t focus. I finally gave up and went out on the decks to sit with the animals. I guess that my wonderful visit was bound to stir up some feelings, and I guess it did. No matter- I will always be so very grateful to have loved someone so much that I will always miss her. Totally worth it all.