A Heartfelt Wish

My next visit was Wednesday morning.  This would be my last visit until I returned from my Marco vacation which would be 10 days later. 

Ron and I head to Marco Island with Mom and Dad Lentz to visit and enjoy quality time with some of our very close friends which we affectionately call ‘Our Marco Family’.  Only once in 27 years have we not been able to go on this vacation due to complications from my brain surgery earlier that year.  Thankfully, I feel fully recovered; we are back on track with our yearly vacations.

Mom and Dad Mascitti used to vacation along with us.  Dad until he passed away 23 years ago.  Mom joined us until she could not appreciate the beauty and the friends any longer; at that time, she no longer wanted to attend.

Mom was in a great mood on Wednesday.  She had asked her nurse why she felt good on Monday and not Tuesday.  Mom said, “She told me you were here on Monday.”  I was glad to hear that mom feels better on the days she sees her family.  We may not always sense that while we are visiting her, but when we leave mom may remember the visit and feel comfort due to the attention and love she experienced on our visit.

My cell phone rang while I was with mom.  When I noticed the call was from Ron, I answered the phone and placed him on speaker phone so they could talk.  Mom immediately said, “Ron, I hope you and Julienne have beautiful vacation.”  He thanked her and expressed that he would come to see her with me when we were back from our vacation. 

Mom did not dwell on the fact that I was leaving which surprised me.  But before I left that day, I made a note which I placed on mom’s closet door at her eye level.  The note stated both the day of the week and the exact date I would see her next.   On the last line of the index card I wrote ‘Julienne loves you Mom’.

Across from her closet was the door to her washroom.  On the back of the door was a calendar, I put an X through all the days of the month of May up to that present date and told her if she or her nurse could cross off each day she would know exactly when to expect me.  She told me that she would try to remember.  She said, “You know, Julienne, they are too busy.”

Before I left I reminded her and her nurse that Sandy would be coming to take mom to her beauty shop the next two Fridays.  Mom nodded approvingly; she likes Sandy very much.   I know getting her hair done is the highlight to her week.

Mom has always put us on guilt trips in the past.  Leaving her that day, I felt comforted that she was in pleasant spirits and that she truly wanted Ron and I to enjoy our vacation.