Saturday at Used to Be Mom's

I went to visit Used to Be today. I had told her I would and wasn't surprised when we drove up that she came right out of her complex to greet me. She has pulled her long sleeved t-shirt stained with who knows what down past her tummy. Her cookie consumption can no longer be hidden.

She shows me the puzzle she is working on and then we go into her complex. I have seen the pictures she has on her bookshelves hundreds of times but she wants me to look at them again. She forgets a grandson's name and she confuses my niece with me. I see where her dusting as started and ended. Our mother would be appalled at the dust on her shelf.

She asks if I can fix her clock. She didn't put the battery in correctly and it has drained all its power. She tells me she just bought the battery and it should still be good. She brings me her remote which isn't working either. She doesn't know what is wrong. It's a quick fix with new batteries and she is so happy that it is now working. She didn't know so many things take batteries. She shows me her purchases from the drugstore. I have been there now thirty minutes when she asks when Bob is coming to get me.

I can see she is restless and unsettled. I ask what she wants to do. She tells me she should be really working on that puzzle to finish it. Shame on her for playing around on a Saturday afternoon. I assure her I can sit with her in the puzzle room. At four o'clock she tells me we better hurry downstairs to meet Bob. We sit outside and enjoy the warm air and she tells me again about how she counts the cars.

When Bob arrives she walks me to the car, gives me a big hug and kisses me on the lips. She thanks me for my visit but why can't she come and live with us?

Nothing changes. Everything has.