New confusion

Mom's birthday is over. She is now officially in her 96th year. Think of the changes in the world in her life. She remembers being 15 or so, hearing people talk about the radio. "Oh," she said,
"I don't think I'll ever like radio." But the whole radio wave thing has led to so much, TV, computers, cell phones and on and on.

Every Wednesday I pick a friend, Helen, up at her place, we go and pick Mom up and the three of us go to exercise class. Mom does quite well, even through the 10 minutes of cardio. She swears every week that the class is getting tougher - but she makes it.

Then the three of us go to the Apple Tree Restaurant for lunch. They know us there, Scott the waiter teases us, Mom hits him with her cane, he tells her not to touch what she can't afford, and so on. We have fun.

This week we left exercise class and headed up to the Apple Tree.
"Barbie, I know I should know this but where are we going?"
"We're going to the restaurant for lunch."
"Oh, what restaurant?"
"We're going to the Apple Tree."
"Oh, where is that?"
"It's the restaurant we go to every week at the Hillside Mall."
Pause
Then she says, "Oh, I remember now. Of course. It's the one that Barry works at."
"His name is Scott."
"Oh, where did I get Barry from?"
"I don't know, Mom."

A very bad milestone. She forgot the Apple Tree. I am away this weekend and I hope she's okay. I spoke to the man who sits at her table in the independent living place she lives in and he knows how confused she is but he enjoys her just the same. Her humour comes out and they kid one another all the time. It's good for her. I am comforted that her friends there will protect her as much as they can.

I'm off and away.