Clipping and Tweezing

When Used to Be Mother took off her socks the other day at the doctor's office, I was horrified to see her yellow talon like toenails.  Why Chinese men found feet erotic is lost on me.  I promised her I would cut them for her on the weekend.

Today I had that dubious pleasure. I sat on a stool below her and she put her feet in my lap. They didn't smell but they are scaly, veiny and twisted. A hacksaw might have worked better than the nail clipper and my dad's moustache scissors she gave me. I almost wished I had worn safety glasses for whenever the clipping went astray and not on the little hand towel she had lain out. She has something really nasty growing underneath the toenails that resisted all my snipping and filing.

UTBM: This is so nice of you to do this for me.

Me: My pleasure Mom.

(Her complex does have someone come regularly for toenail roundup - how would you like that for a job? - but Used to Be Mother doesn't ever remember when she comes.)

After we finished the declawing, she wanted me to remove the errant white hairs on her chin and upper lip. Tweezing them became way too painful for her so I snipped them with the scissors. It's surprising how sharp those are even though he has been gone for six years.

Once the esthetics are done, we have a little polka around her living room.

UTBM: This is so much fun honey.

For a minute, I recognize my mother who loved to dance, tell funny jokes,  be with her family. I hug her for a long time and register how much she has shrunken physically. She fits into me just below my chin now.

UTBM: Why can't I come with you on your holiday? You don't want me do you?

I can't cover that topic again with her today so I bring out a bag of Coffee Crisp chocolate bars for her. Distractions work for old ladies just like they do for kids. She acts like its Christmas and she gives me another hug for thinking of her.

As I pull out of her parking lot, I see her waving to me on the balcony with the snow coming down on her and remember she was still in her bare feet.

I'm looking forward to three weeks vacation but I will miss her. I'll be back just in time to do another clipping and tweezing.