*fiction, based on fact
The Valentine State of Mind
Melissa was exhausted and exasperated. Caring for her mother with dementia was an act of love and something she had promised her father she would do. No warehousing of Mother in a facility. She agreed to take care of Mom up until the end and she would, because she was one stubborn woman and proud of it. She was determined to not let the situation get her down but that was easier said than done, she was realizing. Constantly repeating things and answering the same questions over and over again was driving her nuts. Dealing with her mother’s childish tantrums took patience which she was rapidly losing. She wasn’t looking forward to the trip they were taking tomorrow on Valentine’s Day to visit her sister. Recently her mom had taken to raising and lowering the car window repeatedly, so irritating, and if a trip was longer than ten minutes, asking her version of, “Are we there yet?”
Melissa’s go-to when she was at the end of her rope was fun. How could she make this trip fun for Mom and herself? That took some thinking but she finally came up with it. It would give her mom some purpose because her mom loved to have fun, too. She bought some cardboard, glitter-bedecked, Valentine-shaped eyeglasses for each of them, including Judy. They put them on and laughed, looking at each other.
“Okay, Mom,” she said. “When we get to Judy’s house, we will put these on before we get out of the car. We will walk up the sidewalk and step up on the porch and ring the doorbell. When Judy opens the door, she will see us in these glasses and I’ll bet she will laugh. Want to do it?”
“Oh, yes!” her mom said. “I can’t wait.”
The car ride went smoothly, her mom holding the glasses for them all and remembering all the way to Judy’s what they were going to do. The window stayed shut and there were no questions, just a lot of little giggles from time to time. Upon arrival, they donned the glasses and trudged up the sidewalk and up on the porch. Melissa carried Judy’s pair of glasses in her pocket.
“Are you ready?” she asked her mom.
“You bet! Can I push the button?”
Melissa nodded and Mom rang the doorbell.
Judy opened the door, saying “Happy Valentine’s Day!” the same time they did. Then she laughed as she saw their glasses and they laughed because she laughed. Melissa handed Judy the glasses, who put them on and they all took a selfie together.
That photo would be a happy memory for them all in times to come.