Translated…
My mother had a hard time, getting her wounds from her appendicitis surgery heal, plus, she was too hurried to pick up the heavy objects, dance, and, in the year and a half since the surgery, she’d gone under the knife three more times, and, they’d put a layer of artificial skin over her wound, there was a bump on her abdomen; to her, who cared too much about the way she looked, it was, a huge setback. Several times, she’d tried sneaking out, in her shaping underwear to go out for her exercises, but we’d found out, and so, she could only, stay at home like a good patient.
The doctors warned her, that if she didn’t rest up, and the wound busted again, he wouldn’t know how to sew her back up again. Plus, at the age of eighty-seven, she couldn’t deal with the surgeries one right after another, and, if something went wrong, she may become bedridden every single day, and couldn’t go anywhere.
This shocked my mother, and so, she’d stopped going to the dancing sessions at the old folks’ center, and refused to head out with us abroad, at most, she’d only, gone out with friends to dine, or to church. This was, TORTURE, for my mother, who’s active, and extremely social, every single day, her only activities had been reduced to watching television until her eyes couldn’t feel anymore, or, to carry on in phone conversations with her friends until midnight.
Gladly, my own daughter-in-law had a set of twins, and my mother who lived next door could come on over, to visit her great grandkids, sing, talk, and play with them, every evening at dusk, without me having to reminder her to come, she’d shown up, like clockwork.
After my mother’s surgeries, her memories slowly deteriorated, we’d worried, that it was dementia, we were ready, to take her to the hospitals for her check ups; but, going to see her great grandchildren, playing with them, it’d ignited that life in her again, and, she’d started, smiling more, and, the her memories became better too.
Awhile ago, my mother caught the flu, and was quarantined for an entire week, couldn’t come and visit the twins. She was very disappointed, felt that we’d stripped her happy time. And, she could only take her meds like clockwork, rest up, and, when the ban was finally lifted, she’d looked at the twins, and, showed that radiant smile of hers.
And, from time to time, when we’d all had things we needed to take care of, we’d asked her to sit by the couch, to watch the twins, so they won’t flip off the couch, and, she’d be watchful, kept to her duties, not daring to have them out of her sight. If we’d allowed the twins to lie for a short bit in her arms (because we worried, that if she’d moved too much, the sutures will bust open again), she’d become elated, and told us, at any time, if we’d needed her, she’ll be there, in a heart bit.
To tell the truth, my mother can only do so much, but, seeing how she’d started getting animated again, busied herself, in and out of my house, I knew, that so long as she felt she was giving, it’s encouraging to her, felt that she’s still useful to the world.
The oldest human being, the one-hundred fifteen-year-old woman, Ritali was still helping to care for her one-year-old, great great grandson, and, her great granddaughter said, perhaps, this, is why God had allowed her to live for so long.
So, as our parents get older, letting them just sit and do nothing, is not a good thing at all. Why not, allow them, to do something small, so they can feel that they’re still contributing, that they’re still useful, and, with the goals in life, it may get them to become healthier and happier too!
And so, this still just shows, that the elderly population, NO matter how old they are, they still feel the need, that they’re needed by someone, and, by allowing her mother, to take care of her grandson, this woman had managed, to put the life force, back into her own mother’s life.
Life, the Obstacle Course 