Willie slips out of reckoning

When we moved to Alaska in 2006 , Gary and Mom remained behind for nearly two months.  Autumn in Colorado can be lovely, if it isn't too hot.  On one of those lovely evenings, my husband and friends went to see Willie Nelson at Red Rocks natural amphitheater.  Gary told Mom he may take her somewhere and kept her guessing.  Then an extra ticket came through and he surprised her with a trip to see Willie!

Mom did the okie stomp, holding her oxygen tank, all night - much to the delight of the youngsters around her.  She (and Gary) talked about that for years.   He would give her CDs and she would play them on her little portable CD player that he bought her.  When he provided music events for those at FRA and those at Pioneer Home, she would always get up and dance with the hugest grin on her face.

Then she forgot how to use the CD player and only listened when Gary set it up for her.

Yesterday he gave her a new Willie Nelson CD for Christmas.   When he set the CD playing,  he turned to her and asked who that was.  She wrinkled her face, tried her best to remember.  He stood there for the longest time with her trying to come up with the words he wanted to hear.  I finally said it was okay if she didn't remember - it wasn't important.  It hurt me to watch him wait and see her struggle to bring that memory back out.

She listened to the CD two times through until my son-in-law, Jamie, went down to watch TV with her while we waited for everyone to arrive for dinner and present opening.  As we were finishing dinner, my son, Lorien, stepped out for another cigarette (when will he give that up this time?).  When he came back she asked him who he was.  He told her he was her grandson, Lorien.  He took off his hat, but she still looked at him with suspicion.  Then a few moments later, she talked to him as if she knew him, but this was the signal that she was tiring.

Teresa went down with me to help her get ready for bed.  Teresa asked that she put on the new coat I gave her.  She didn't want to, but Teresa cajoled and we tried out the fit.  It goes almost to the top of her shoes and she loves the faux fur rough around the hood.  It will work great.  Then Teresa put her many decorative pins on her lapels while I got her cleaned up.  We took out her teeth to let them soak and then put on her PJs.  Every bit of it was an effort for her.  She was so, so tired.  

As I got her in bed I leaned over to look at her.  She looked up at me with such love in her eyes.  She said,  "You are a good girl".  I don't get that from her very often.  I cried.