Amnesia and dancing

Tomorrow, good Lord willing, my mother will be discharged from the hospital and will return to her assisted living home. And to think six weeks ago I was planning what to wear to her funeral. Not long ago I told her that I thought she was dying when she entered the hospital. She was totally astonished. I said that was why her other two children came to see her. She didn't remember their visit or much of anything since the middle of August. Wow! All those hours spent at her bedside, the effort, time and money expended by my siblings to get here, the raw emotion, the fitful sleep, and gratefully, the severe pain, she didn't remember any of it. We've survived a tough battle and she doesn't even know it. Time will tell how much of her amnesia is the result of dementia and how much was due to the severity of her medical crisis. Yes, I'm totally aware of my own little narcissistic need for a pat on the head from my mommy who then tells me what a good girl I've been! But my mommy, dang it, can't remember any of it! Sigh!

Yesterday, Mother's 97 year old roommate was being visited by two tiny great-grandchildren. The youngest was Kaitlyn who spontaneously began singing to herself while the adults were talking. She was perhaps 18 months old. Her songs had no words but they were so enchanting, that conversation stopped as we delighted in her singing. It was pure unadulterated joy! Then she wiggled down off of her grandmother's lap and began to dance. She danced to her own rhythm as we clapped along with her. I thought of my own youngest who sang before she could talk and was nicknamed boogy-baby because she too, would dance just because dancing made her happy and maybe because dancing was a lot more fun than walking. Thank you Kaitlyn!