Lately a lot of the people in my circle have been going through some things and as much as I want to help it seems as though I cannot. I wake up this morning eyes still with crust in them, allergies beginning to flare up and it is only 5:30 am. I get up out of bed and I stretch yawn then throw on some shorts and some flip/flops. I only sleep in a t-shirt. I go down stairs and the struggle of daily life begins.
"Good Morning Granny"
"Good Morning baby"
"Did you wash up yet?"
"No."
"Ok let me get your stuff so you can do so."
"I don't know if I want to go today or not."
"Well, lets just see how you feel after you wash up ok?"
I take her the tub filled with soap water and her towel and wash cloth, hang her towel on her walker and set the tub with the wash cloth next to her bed.
Leave room.
Close door.
Enter dark bedroom. Go to dresser, grab allergy medicine.
"Ma, granny said she doesn't know if she wants to go or not today. Im going back up stairs be down in 10 minutes."
Mom replies, "She is going to want to go, she will change her mind just watch."
Up, up, up, I climb 26 steps, stop breathe, continue the trek to my room. Sit on bed, sigh.
Granny, 82y rs old. Legs have poor circulation so the always swell. She can't move fast enough to get to the bathroom so there is a potty in her room. Have to change it or else it swells. She has had 2 bad strokes and too many mini ones to count. 1 heart failure. And countless other problems. Slight dementia, a new one.
7 minutes pass. Phone vibrates, Ma shows on caller ID.
"Hello"
"She said she wants to go. I picked her clothes out."
"Ok, i figured she would once she washed up."
"Ok. See you when you come down here."
Grab a bottle of water, take allergy medicine, eat protein bar.
Stand up go down stairs.
Walk though kitchen, make a right turn. Walk into Granny's room.
She has her pants, socks and shoes on.
She needs her bra. I get one out of the drawer hand it to her and see if she can figure out how to put it on.
She hooks it on, but its twisted. Then she forgets to turn it around so I help her.
I turn it around for her and I unhook it and re-hook it in the back.
I help her put her shirt on. She wears yellow today. She looks very radiant in yellow.
"Did you brush your teeth?"
"Not yet"
"Ok I will get that stuff for you after I do your hair."
No reply, she just nods her head.
I unbraid her hair and take it out the pony.
I get the comb and brush and comb her hair. I comb it until it is soft. Her hair is long and gray with a streak of dark gray almost black. It is wavy. I get the grease and rub it in between my palms and rub it in her hair mainly around the edges to keep it from sticking up. I brush it and comb it into a pony tail. I braid the pony tail and put a rubber band on the end of it.
"Ok granny let me go get your toothbrush."
I go get the toothbrush and her pan. The pan is dirty so I wash it out in the kitchen. I get her toothbrush and I rinse it put toothpaste on it and take it to my Granny.
It takes her all of five minutes to finish.
"Now all you have to do is eat and take your medicine and you are ready to go"
.
.
.
These days are gone. A month ago was different. The last sunset she saw was the most beautiful sunset ever. I know that she is watching down on me, and from now on the way I live the rest of my life will be different. I will live to make her proud of me. Because all I ever want is for her to smile.
.
.
These days are gone. A month ago was different. The last sunset she saw was the most beautiful sunset ever. I know that she is watching down on me, and from now on the way I live the rest of my life will be different. I will live to make her proud of me. Because all I ever want is for her to smile.
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