Keep it Real Wednesday
July 28, 2021
The Steno Pad
Yesterday, Rosemary asked me to sit next to her and said she wanted to give me something. She said she knew my birthday was coming up and she didn’t want to miss it, but the days all seem to run together, and she couldn’t remember exactly what day it is.
I keep track of all the birthdays and special events for Rosemary so she can continue to celebrate things that are important to her. I typically buy cards for Rosemary to sign, mail them for her and send video messages on my iPhone from Rosemary to the birthday person which everyone enjoys and treasures.
It’s part of being a care provider, all the things we do behind the scenes. If you are a caregiver, you understand completely.
But what about my birthday? To be honest, I have never given it a second thought about how it would feel as a mother to not give to your child.
I think that is how Rosemary was feeling.
Back to the story.
Rosemary handed me a carefully hand-written note on a steno pad piece of paper. The note was personal, and tender, from her heart to mine. The writing was difficult to read due to her vision which makes it all the more special to me.
She said she also wanted me to have the steno pad because she said she knew I liked steno pads.
She talked about how we both used shorthand in our jobs at some point in our lives and how that is a lost skill, much like many things in the past.
I gave her a hug, thanked her for the thoughtful gift and then walked away with tears in my eyes.
They were tears of accepting an unassuming gift that many would not understand. Tears of gratitude for having the love of my mother for one more birthday, tears of sadness that the strong mother I had known for so many years was now a shadow of herself.
I will treasure the well-worn and yellowed steno pad always for everything it represents.
Love comes to us in many ways.
