"Honor the Aged"

It was great to visit with my 95-year old mother today. She is wheelchair bound, living in a nursing home. She has been there for about 8 months now, and has adjusted well. She tires easily, but is still able to feed herself most meals. She was pretty tired this evening. She mostly let us do the talking, and quietly listened to the devotion we as we read. After the prayer it was quiet and peaceful in the room when suddenly her roommate declared, "It's beginning to rain. Oh, no, it's turning to snow."

 I have to admit that my heart dropped a bit as I stole a quick glance out of the window to convince myself that the 60 degree weather here in Columbia, MO had not somehow morphed into the Minnesota we had just escaped!

My sister, Martha, and her husband, Paul, were here from Baltimore last week to see Mom. They helped my sister, Mary, take her to an eye doctor appointment. One big difficultiy is that Mom has severe ostoeporosis and is very stooped. That makes it hard for her to lift up her head. The eye doctor's assistant got her ready for her eye test.

"Okay," the girl asked after covering one eye. "what can you see?"

Mom answered, "The wall plug." 

The girl realized the problem and tilted Mom's chair back a little and the test went alot better after that.

Mom has always had a keen sence of humor. She was complaining to Mary one day, "Beans! They shouldn't serve beans for breakfast!"  Mary had to explain, "Mom, it's not breakfast, it's dinner."  Mom chuckled a little, then looked at Mary and said, "Well, it's still true."

It is hard to see your once vibrant parent in such reduced circumstances. But it is comforting to know that she is preapred to die, and is looking forward to going to heaven. Maybe this will be my last year for buying a  Mother's Day card.

But, maybe not.

Katherine

"Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old." Proverbs 23:22