My promise...

When You Are Old
BY WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS
When you are old and grey and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

I've been thinking about ageing lately. Mostly because of a massage client of mine who is bedridden. She was very ill and in the hospital for quite a while, and has been at home in bed for over a year now. Every time I give her a massage, I come away feeling a little bit sad. And I think about the possibility of having to care for my own mother.

I know the Yeats wasn't written for a parent, btw. I just really love it, and it fits my melancholy mood.

So here is a little letter for my mommy:

Dear Mom,

I know you are still young and healthy, but I've been thinking about a time when you might not be. And if you are ever bed bound, I promise the following things:

If we are living close enough to each other, I will come over once a week to make sure your fingernails and toenails are in good shape. I will cut your nails, clean underneath them, and buff/paint them if you want me to. I will even file down that funky pinky toenail of yours if it ever grows enough to need some attention.

If we live close enough for that once a week visit, I will also take the opportunity to tweeze any weird beard/moustache hairs that you may develop. Not saying that you WILL become a hirsute old woman, but there's always that chance. And Mom, I am here for you.

If your eyesight gets bad, I will bring over trashy romance novels and read them out loud to you. Even the rude bits. I'm pretty sure that the church ladies will read scriptures to you, but some things just CAN'T be done by your visiting teachers.

I will lotion up your legs if you can't reach them, because dried and scaly legs are just plain uncomfortable.

I will tidy up the house, so you don't have to listen to Dad complaining about the mess. I know he likes it clean, and if you can't do it, I will.

I will also try to cook you a meal for the freezer. Maybe meatloaf, since we both know that mine is better than yours. Just..

If I don't live close to you, I will instead call you at least once, maybe twice a week, so we can gossip about all the family stuff. Especially after big events like baptisms, blessings, weddings and family reunions.

The main thing I promise is that I will think of you often. Because you are my mother, and I love you!

Your favorite daughter,

Jamie