Gerontology practicum

Walking at the lake

One of the lessons I have learned by having my mother next door is that, as much as I know someone, I never know it all. We keep changing, but we also have pockets of unknown things, mysteries that can only be known through the passage of time. Mom and I have a comfortable familiarity, certainly. She knows my weakness for jelly beans, but I tease her for liking hominy. She tells me what she learned on television, and I tell her things I read on the internet. We share our library stacks, and laugh at the same jokes. But, I never knew my mother loved blues music, or that she disliked Jane Austen. I would never have picked a red denim jacket for her, and when I mentioned she might like to read at the lake she announced that she would prefer to take a walk. At 78 my mom has decided to start exercising. She is a changing, growing person, and I am proud of her.

It is nice to have someone know you well enough to do the right thing. I know Mom doesn't mind giving us the two quarters we need for the Thursday paper (I NEVER have change in my purse), but she hates it if we don't knock before coming inside her house. She loves to fold laundry, but finds it too tiring to do heavy cleaning. She likes things tidy and fresh, but not spotless, and she always loves having cut flowers accenting her living room. She doesn't like to visit with our friends when they come over, and she prefers to have hours of quiet during the day. I don't interrupt her naps, she doesn't interrupt our school time.

This really is the best of both worlds -- next door I have someone I know better than anyone, yet I also have someone with plenty of mysteries to discover. Thanks for joining us, Mom. You are the best.