Remembering Mom!
by Irwin Lengel
(Lakeland, FL)
Here it is Sunday evening August 19, 2012 and I am trying to decide what to write about in my blog.
It has been a while since I posted anything and that is not like me but I must admit that we have been rather busy.
However, being the person I am and realizing that I am not meeting my goal of writing 750 words a day (2012 New Years’ Resolution) due to other things taking precedence, I thought – hey why not make it a habit to write something for my blog site, and better yet, try to get in the habit of writing something weekly. Now that I think about it, it will probably be weekly due to other commitments - I still teach, write, and line dance in addition to other projects I get myself involved in. But in taking this approach, I will get back in the habit of writing something.
Next thought that crossed my mind was – OK – you are sitting here at your computer and you want to provide your readers with a post of some sort – but it needs to be interesting and/or entertaining not just a bunch of words on a page.
Don't ask me why but for whatever reason, thoughts of my mother came flashing back and I remembered that long ago (actually the date was May 26, 1988) she shared with me a poem that she thought was cute and apropos for the moment because it reminded her of the people that lived in the same high-rise senior citizen building where she lived. She herself told me at that time that she thought the words of the poem were true as they related to lots of people that lived in the building. And while she said at the time that she didn’t feel her age (at the time she was almost 73 years old) she did admit that once in a while her arthritis bothered her.
Now whether or not she wrote the poem or whether she copied it from a monthly newsletter all the tenants of the building received, I do not recall but I am sure that once everyone reads it, they will be able to associate some of the poem to their own trials and tribulations as we go through our retirement years. I hope you enjoy it.
The poem read as follows:
Just a line to say I’m living,
That I’m not among the dead
Tho I’m getting more forgetful
And mixed up in the head.
I got used to my arthritis
To my dentures I’m resigned
I can manage my bifocals
But God I miss my mind
For sometimes I can’t remember
When I stand at the foot of the stairs
If I must go up for something
Or have I just come down from there.
And before the fridge so often
My poor mind is filled with doubt
Have I just put food away, or
Have I come to take some out?
And there is time when it is dark
With my nighttime cap on my head
I don’t know if I’m retiring or
Just getting out of bed.
So if it’s my turn to write you
There’s no need for getting sore
I may think that I have written
And don’t want to be a bore
So remember that I love you
And wish that you were near
But now it is nearly mail time
So must say goodbye my dear
There I stand beside the mail box
With a face so very red
Instead of mailing you the letter
I had opened it instead.
Mom lived another ten years after this poem was written and even though I will be 72 in a few months, I still miss her dearly and think of her often. I hope these little words bring a smile to your face and help everyone realize that life is both precious and short. Enjoy life to the fullest and smile often. Do not forget to tell the ones you love that you love them and do it often. Have a great day!
