Does your mother like it?

Sunday, August 4 - I went to visit my mother in the Skilled Nursing Center at Westminster Woods.  She was asleep.  My attempts to waken her were not successful  I ran my fingers through her pretty silver har and kissed her on the cheek.  I took a deep breath and walked out of the door.

I had time before I was due to be at church so I stopped for a moment at the fountain.  I sat on a bench and listened as the water moved - splashing gently.

And somehow this question - that has been posed to me many times - was at the forefront of my thoughts:

Does your mother like her new home?

Truth be told - I don't have a clue.  The four weeks that she has spent there have continued to be times of confusion for her.

And yet - Truth be told

She loves it!

And how can I say that with such bold assurance?

We know our mother.

She loves her family.

If she could tell us, mother would say she is delighted to be close to three of her children, on the same property as one of her sisters and not too far from some of her grandchildren.   We have no doubt but that we are her favorite people.

Our mother loves beauty.  Westminster Woods is beautiful.

She often said she'd like to live there.  She thought it wasn't possible.  When we first took her to the Terrace, we told her that we hoped that was just a stopover.  By the time it became a reality her mind had began to fail and even then we were not sure she fully understood that we were moving her.

And probably the most important thing we know

Our mother trusts in the Lord.

If she could, we think she would tell us that all is well.    She has often repeated "Not my will but yours dear Lord - this is what my prayer will be."

The four of us and our families believe that the Lord made a way for her to be in a beautiful setting.  Now, her room is just a room.  There is no reason to glorify that part.  She has a roommate.  CNA's care for her.  Sometimes she is in a wheelchair in a room with others who are like her.  She sleeps a lot.  When she is awake she looks at us like she knows us but is just not sure how.  

I went back to see my mother around 4:30 that afternoon  She still slept  This time she tried to wake up but just couldn't.  When I left I said "I love you" and she said "I love you" back.

Again I walked by the pretty fountain.  And I thought of another reason my mother likes it.  

We like it.  

That's the kind of mother, Iva Louise Nesmith Huffingam has always been - if we liked something or someone - that's all she needed!  

We are blessed!

May your life be filled with enough Sunshine 

to make you appreciate the Shadows