Second Post of the Day

The nap was great...all warm and cozy.I was able to sneak in a visit to my neighbor,who suffered a stroke in early December and is now home recuperating. It will be a long haul to complete recovery , but she looks good and it's great to have her home again .
Mother came home,after a decent day at daycare and began her usual late afternoon fretting . The rapid short-term memory loss can be upsetting for her and mind-numbing for me . Today was very different,however. Beyond the constant repetitions , which she does when concerned about something (like a broken record) was the recognition that a sudden downward slide had occurred. Her small vessel disease will do that, as more of the brain is impacted . I realized that I am losing my mother...right before my very eyes . Each day there is slightly less of her competance...less of her personality... How cruel to have lived for eighty-plus years and end them in this manner...after a lifetime of service to others . The tears flowed and sobs shook me...This disease is not lightly called "the Long Goodbye". The only solace came from prayer and in a phone call to my best friend who endured a similar challenge with her mother. Having lived each other's lives...the one who survived a particular trial is there to comfort the other when her turn comes...and so she does . De-stressing music doesn't work now...nor does that old standby-bittersweet chocolate . The heartache is too deep for the solace of physical comforts...send prayers,please