We tend to obsess about so many things in life. We focus on those big items that tend to weight us down: bills, problems at work, winning a game, deadlines, weeds in the garden, etc. But what I have learned from Mother is that the very small things in life can mean the most.
A clean face can bring sheer happiness. Mother loves to have her face washed. After she brushes her teeth I warm the washcloth in the hot water and gently wipe away the stress from her face. She always asks me to do her eyes. Gently, gently I clean the sleep from her eyes. Gently, gently I wipe her cheeks and forehead. She tilts her face up and makes a low mmmmmm in pleasure. Three times we go through the process and then pat dry with a towel. She always says, "Thank you, mama."
She returns to her bed, and I apply a thin layer of baby oil on her face. She has dry patchy pre-cancer on her skin, and the baby oil softens her skin. She say, "On my nose, on my cheek." Then we move to her arms and hands gently massaging her thin, dry skin. "Oh that is so nice, so nice." The sweet smell envelopes her.
Then it is time for a Coke. "Do you have a Coke?" she asks, and I make a trip to the machine for a Coke. She sips it from the can using a straw. "Hmmmm!" followed by a big belch. She smiles. I mean really, can life get any better!
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