Birthdays (Arrrgh!!!)

Most people recall December 7th as the day that will live in infamy. My family remembers it for being the day Pearl Harbor was attacked, but we also remember it because it is my Mother's birthday.

We have a large family, and it is spread far and wide. Tomorrow one of my nieces, one of my nephews and one of my sisters will join us to take Mother to a local buffet. We'll come home to open gifts, and then we will make more Christmas cookies, play cards and chat. It may not sound like a lot to you, but my just-about 87 year old mother is excited to be going out, and having company.

One of the things I've learned about aging is that as you age it becomes more difficult to keep track of multiple conversations. Your hearing begins to fail, and you miss a lot of what is said, and you tire more quickly. So, smaller groups at one time are easier to cope with.

And, as you age, frequently people forget to talk with you, or they talk to the younger people around you as though you need an interpreter, and that can give you a feeling of isolation. We need to slow down and be sure our elders are a part of the conversation, and encourage them to participate fully, even if that means our conversation is occasionally limited to topics which interest them.

I've learned that though our steps become hesitant, and our stamina falters, our minds may remain clear. We remember our youth and friends and loved ones who have passed. My mother is the last of her generation in our family....the Matriarch. She has five children, eighteen grandchildren, and
eighteen GREATgrandchildren, with two more due in May. Tomorrow, she will enjoy each and every gift from them, no matter how small it might be. But more than the gifts, the contact, the reaching out, will be what is most important.

Happy Birthday, Mom. I hope you have a lovely day, and that there will be many more to come.