The Pace of Life

Mom has been teaching me a lot about the pace of life.  So, Laurie, stop rushing.  Just enjoy each moment.

Can you all imagine that I am trying to relax? And, if Mommy wants to sit on the edge of the bed for a half hour before she stands up and uses the walker to go to the recliner, I'm learning that's okay.  Sitting up on the edge of the bed is a good place to be.  It's great for her core muscles to hold herself up like that, and maybe even more important than her core, she can go at her own pace.  Rushing at a terrific speed through life in order to get as much learned, and as much seen, and as much done as possible might not be the best way.  Whether it is or not, though, doesn't matter right now.  It isn't the way that Mom and I can do things at this moment.

Last night I watched a show where there was a really amazing line that I've taken to heart in this last month.  (I was learning it even before Danny Pink said it out loud.)  One character, Clara, asked another, Danny, something along the lines of, "How can you turn down an opportunity to go and have adventures, to see all kinds of new things?"  And Danny's response was something like, "I've already seen new things and had adventures.  I don't want to go far and experience new things.  I want to see the things that are close to me more clearly."  Isn't that beautiful?  He put what Mom has been teaching me this last month into a distilled couple sentences, making the thought clear.  I also am learning how important it is to see the things that are close to me more clearly.

One of the things I used to rush with mom was getting her bum moved all the way back into the recliner so she was all settled in and set to wait three hours until I changed her position again.  Well, now that I'm not rushing her from place to place, she gets the chance to be in charge a little more, and I've started letting her sit on the edge (not too close) of the recliner until she's ready to scooge herself back.  (She can do this.  So, why do I?  Because, I was always in a hurry.)

But, she likes to sit on the edge of the recliner.  She takes a long time to decide to scoot back, and yesterday she crossed her legs sitting there.  She looked so comfortable.  (My photography doesn't do her "comfort" justice.)

She's sitting there again today with her leg crossed.  It seems to me that any movements that she, herself, does with her body are going to help her retain mobility.  And, getting to cross your legs because your daughter isn't rushing you to sit back in your recliner is, maybe, a small blessing in Mom's life.

Also, this morning, I took a video while I was helping her get to the recliner.  You can click here to see it.   She's getting so much better at walking since the home care taught me what to do!  Enjoy!

(Edit:  Right at the very end Mommy asks if Lauralie, the doll, is going to talk to us.  :-)  You can hear her start asking that.  She makes me giggle.)