Tonight's picture was taken in February of 2009. I know exactly what happened here! Why? Because I see the cupcake! What the cupcake means was that Mattie completed a physical therapy session and therefore he earned a cupcake. I honestly would bake dozens of cupcakes and bring them to the hospital to use as an incentive system. Mattie went through various food phases and at that point it was the cupcake phase. Chemotherapy greatly impacted Mattie's ability to eat, so whenever he requested a certain food, we jumped at the chance to get it for him. We went through the potato chip phase, the vanilla shake phase, the chicken nugget phase, the donut phase, and the cupcake phase!
Quote of the day: The best way out is always through. ~ Robert Frost
My life is VERY structured. I try to carry that structure over to Saturdays and Sundays. Weekends have always been an emotional nightmare for me since Mattie died. Unfortunately I can't say that feeling has ever gotten better over time, and in fact I think it has gotten more intense with caregiving for my parents. During the week, my dad has appointments and his memory care program. It gets us out of the house and interacting with people. But the weekends are different, which is why I take my parents out to lunch each day.
Each Saturday, we go to our local diner. So this afternoon, after my dad's physical therapy session, I loaded everyone into the car and drove to the diner. As always, I park in the fire lane, and help each of my parents out of the car one at a time. I help them inside and get them chairs to sit down on until a table opens up for us. Today, I got them both inside, and then I went back outside to the fire lane and it was at that point I heard an explosion. I honestly thought a bomb went off. I couldn't tell where it was coming from, but since I did not see panic around me, I figured it wasn't an imminent danger. Any case, I parked the car and then went back inside the diner. As I entered the diner, I could see the diner was without electricity. It got so quiet inside, it felt like I was entering a library or a church, mainly because the darkness impacted every person eating.
I began asking around as to what happened, and I was told a transformer blew and the whole street is without power. The manager came over to me and told me there is no way they will be able to serve food given the current condition, so I literally had to get my parents up, back in the car, and come up with plan B. Of course my dad was thoroughly confused and I was scrambling to figure out where to take them, as I just can't go anywhere with them. The environment has to be very accessible for my parents and the menu has to meet both of their needs. If you have never had to assist an older adult with all sorts of needs, then it is hard for me to describe the complexity of moving them from one place to another. But trust me, it is a lot to juggle alone.
As we were driving to another local restaurant, we passed a car on the road which crashed into the pole with the transformer. We are very lucky that this issue is far enough away from our neighborhood not to affect us. Any case, going to the other restaurant worked out. My mom actually liked the change and there is a server at this restaurant who I just love.... she is getting her college degree in English Literature and she is just a bright, friendly, and lovely woman. When she saw me, she commented that she hasn't seen us in a long time. It is true. I stopped going to this restaurant because my dad refused to eat a lot of the food! I have to say that my divorce has done a number on me as a person, but what today reminded me of was that no matter where I go, I try to make connections with everyone I meet. I remember them and they remember me! I make these connections not because I have a motive, but because I am truly interested in people, their lives, and I appreciate anyone who takes good care of my parents.
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