Wheelchair Bowling

One morning this week, Ron was in mom’s neighborhood on business so he dropped by to visit.  What he found surprised him.

Ron went looking for mom on the second floor around the nurses' station.  When he did not find her there, he walked into the activity room where the residents were bowling. Since everyone is mom’s section is in wheelchairs with limited motion, I never thought bowling would be an option for them, but it is wheelchair bowling. 

 

As he peeked in looking for mom, he thought the residents looked like they were having fun.  The residents have a tube that sits on their wheelchair.  They aim the tube towards the pins, push a button, and a ball rolls out knocking down some or all of the bowling pins. 

One of the nurses asked who Ron was looking for and when he said, “Gilda”. 

She shouted, “Gilda, look who’s here to see you.”

Another nurse said, “Gilda’s not here; she is in the beauty shop.”  So Ron headed downstairs to find mom.

Ron found the beauty shop to be busy as I have described in preceding blogs.  Mom was sitting on the side with wet hair. There was a man sitting in the hairdresser’s chair getting his hair cut, and another woman there sitting in a chair whose hair was in the first stage of getting a perm. 

Mom was delighted to see Ron; when he went to give her a hug and kiss Ron told mom he loved her.

“Oh, I love you . . .  so much, Ronald.  You . . .  had . . . cold.”

“All better, mom.  Julienne would not let me visit until I was feeling better.  You know your daughter.”

“S’worries . . .  about me.”

“Yes, she worries about all the people she loves.”

Getting mom's hair washed requires no effort on mom as you can see by this photo.



While they both sat and talked, the lady having the perm kept yelling and complaining, then mom said, “She moans . . . all . . . time . . . about . . . everything.”

Then mom started on a more serious subject, one that is near and dear to her heart.  “Remember . . .  Guilio.”

“Of course, mom, your cousin, Guilio, was a good man.  Everybody loved him especially Julienne and me.  He always had a smile on his face and a nice comment.”

“He . . .  sick  . . . same thing . . . like me.   He  . . . went sleep peacefully.  I’m . . . still here.”

“Mom, we don’t know how long he suffered before he went in the hospital.”

“They . . . must have given . . . him . . .  something  . . .  to die.”

“No, mom, it was his time to go.”

“I think . . . they  . . . gave . . . him something.”

“Mom, no one gave him anything to die.  God came and got him.”

“When  . . . my time.”

“Hell, if I know mom.  I know you want answers.  Julienne and I don’t have them.   God must be keeping you here for a reason.”

“For what . . . I can’t do  . . .  anything.”

“Mom, you saw the blog Julienne’s writing.  You know you are helping lots of people who have sick parents too.  Maybe that’s why you are still here.  She’s sharing your story.”

While Ron and mom were sitting in the beauty shop, Ron said no less than seven people stopped by to say hi to mom.  Some people were the physical therapists that work across from the beauty shop and some were the residents on this floor who know mom.  Nevertheless, they all went out of their way to make mom feel good.

When mom’s hair was finished, mom gave Sharon*, the hair stylist, a hug and thanked her.  Mom has come a long way with this relationship.

On the way to the elevator more friends told mom how nice she looked. Mom was wearing blue jeans and a cute sweater.   As they waited at the elevator, Ron told mom she looked beautiful. 

“Me  . . .  beautiful?”  Mom chuckled.  “All I do . . . brush my teeth . . . wash my face.”

“Mom, I’m going to take a picture of you and show you what I am looking at.”  After Ron took the photo, he showed mom.

 

Mom said, “Oh.  .  .  My daughter . . .  will be proud . . . of you.”

Ron wheeled mom upstairs to the activity room because they were bringing the residents in for lunch.  Mom’s girlfriend, Darlene*, wasn’t sitting at their table.  Mom became anxious; she thought she had missed lunch.  Mom shouted to one of the aides, “Hey, I haven’t eaten yet.”

Ron reassured her, “Mom, they haven’t eaten lunch yet.  The residents only have milk so far.  Darlene’s* must be in restroom.”

As he went to give mom a hug, she gave him a hug so tight Ron called it a death grip.  Ron said she had not hugged him like that in a long time. 

While mom was hugging him she said, “Take care . . . of my daughter.”

“Mom, I always do and I always will!”

“I know.”

Ron walked away smiling and feeling glad that he had some quality time with mom.