A few days before she left she told me my Mom couldn't live alone. It wasn't safe. She was sleeping for short spurts during the day and staying up most of the night. She said she couldn't sleep but part of me wondered if she was scared to go to sleep at night, maybe scared she wouldn't wake up. One night she had fallen off the toilet onto the bathroom floor. She said she was reaching for her walker, but I have a feeling she had fallen asleep and just fallen off. Aunt Pat had to help her up.
I knew what Aunt Pat had said was true, that she couldn't live alone but I didn't know what to do. Our house was not ideal for her to move into but I still would've gladly had her; however, she protested. She was not moving anywhere, she was fine she said. Although forgetful at times she was still in her right mind. I couldn't drag her from her apartment. She would've fought back. Knowing Mom, I wouldn't have put it past her to call the cops and tell them she'd been kidnapped. She wasn't budging.
Her church friends from Trinity Baptist stepped up though. They devised a schedule so one of them would come each weekday for a few hours. Ryan and I could come on the weekends. I set up a pillbox with a spot for 4 different times a day that I would fill weekly. It wasn't the best remedy but it was something and I don't know what we would've done without her friends. I've said this before that I used to think that my Mom didn't have a lot of friends, but I learned my Mom had the best friends. They took a few photos before Aunt Pat left.
I love that bottom photo of my Mom. I have it cropped of just her and use it as my phone wallpaper.
Aunt Pat would leave early Sunday morning so I came up on Saturday August 9 to say goodbye to her. I don't remember exactly what we did that afternoon, but I snapped this photo before I left. It's the last photo of my Mom and her best friend together. A friendship of over 40 years.
Aunt Pat left and another door closed.
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