That Was Hard Work!

Well, here she is after her first day with the Occupational and Physical Therapists! It was a bit slow going at first, but she seems excited to be moving in the direction of getting stronger and going home to her cat, 'Pepsi'. After doing a hand strengthening exercise, moving clothes pins of varying resistance from one peg to another, she told me, "that was hard work!" I asked her if she ever thought that moving clothes pins would ever seem like hard work. It reminds me that it's important to keep doing things that are difficult with my muscles and even things that hurt my joints even when they hurt so that I will always be able to squeeze clothes pins. I sure hope so, anyway.

I will admit, she doesn't like the nick name I've given her, "Mother Comfort". Perhaps it sounds too formal, or maybe too story book, but I think it fits her perfectly. When she gives me this particular smile, it is always a great comfort to me. This smile always makes me feel that there couldn't possibly be a thing wrong with growing older. OK, I do know that her legs hurt and she mentions feeling tired a lot more than she once did, but not five minutes after saying these things, something will strike her funny and she'll throw her head back and laugh...or as she'd say it, "she'd just roar with laughter!" or she would get a bright idea and, as she would say, "her eyes would just dance".