Each Friday for several weeks, I’ve been participating in Five Minute Friday with Kate Motaung. I’m all over it again today. #FMFparty is a writing prompt that Kate puts out on Thursday evening at 10pm. (Those of you who know me KNOW I don’t see the prompt until early the next morning. I’m rarely up at 10pm.) We write our little hearts out for 5 minutes on offered topic. Then we hit send, and voila!, the FMF post is published. Here is my offering today.
The writing prompt for today is: HOLD
Ready, go!
My family of origin is not a touchy-feely kind of bunch. We said, “I love you” often. But, hugged or held hands rarely. My husband’s family, on the other hand… Sweet mercy, it took me years to get used to the hugs that were doled out when you came, when you went, and sometimes in-between. I just was not a hugger or a toucher until I married into Greg’s family.
These days, as I watch multi-infarct dementia take my Mother away, a longing to be near her, to HOLD her hand has sprung forth in my heart. She spends much of her day either sitting in her chair or lying on the bed with her eyes closed. When I can, I HOLD her hand. It just seems to be the thing my heart desires to do.
Recently, she was in the emergency room. I thought we were losing her in those moments. I stood by the stretcher, HELD her hand and stroked her hair. A touch, a HOLDING of a hand speaks into a heart feelings that words alone cannot convey.
So, every opportunity I get, I HOLD my Mother’s hand. I tell her I love her, and remind her not to forget it. I tell her that I love her more. She banters with me and says she loves me more. I smile. I want her to know that I HOLD her in my heart, this woman who gave me birth, wiped my nose, fed my tummy, and was present at every event I ever participated in. Dementia may have HOLD of her brain, but in her heart, I know she knows that I HOLD her close in my heart.
Leslie, Mother and me – 2013
STOP!
