Chapter 57: New Year, Old Hopes
January 2, 2025
For many years now, we’ve had a family tradition of my parents coming over to our place for dinner on New Year’s Day. With all of the things that seem to be changing, I’m glad this is one part of routine that seems to still be intact!
Last night after dinner, I presented mom with her new daytimer for 2025. For the last few months of 2024, she actually was doing a fairly good job of writing in it. Now granted, that may be in large part to my taking the time to call over to the house a few times a day to ask about things she’s done and encouraging her to write them down while we’re on the phone. Some days this is easy, some days it’s excruciatingly painful, and some days we fight. Sigh. Even so, there are some days where mom takes up this “responsibility” entirely on her own. So, that’s got to mean we’re doing the right thing…right?
One little wrinkle I really should have thought about though. Last year’s daytimer was black…and while I bought the same size and brand as last year, I (now realizing, very stupidly) picked out the light pink one instead, thinking it looked prettier. Well, I can tell this is going to be a problem already. Mom told me during each phone call today that she couldn’t find her black book. Epic fail – you would think I’d know better by now!
Anyway, I revised the letter that is printed out and stapled to the front of the book – the 2025 update, I suppose. Sadly, it doesn’t remind mom to take her medication anymore since dad has been in charge of administering that for the past few months. But I have included words of encouragement for mom and suggestions of things she should try to do each day to exercise her brain. I’ve asked her to read it every day…not sure if she does, but at least it’s there for when she chooses to.
Dad is regularly bringing mom over at least a few times a week on his way to the gym now. I like having her here when the kids get home from school. One thing that has been frustrating me is mom’s seemingly total loss of vanity – she does not care about her appearance at all and I’m not even sure she brushes her hair every day (one of the reminders I’ve put at the start of her daytimer). She also seems to think it’s not a requirement to wash her hair, so at minimum, I can ensure I’m cleaning it and blowing it out to look good every few days.
It’s also been nice to have the kids playing the piano a bit more regularly. Unlike me when I was a kid, my two really seem to gravitate towards sports. While I’m happy for how physically active they are, I do have some regret pangs about not having enough time to get them as into the arts I was. By the time I was their age, I was a seasoned veteran of musical talent shows and other competitions. I hope mom isn’t disappointed in how little I’ve developed their singing voices or piano hands. And yet, even though mom doesn’t always remember things, I’m so lucky that she constantly tells me how proud she is of me. The silliest, smallest things seem to give her such joy. And with this new year, that helps me retain some old hope. That is, with all of the other problems we have to endure – deep down, mom is still in there…and maybe has a chance of…stability.
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