Is it Saturday? Oh. No. It’s Sunday already. And I’m late again for my own party.
I remember my mother calling me (and many other people) a cheeky bugger often. I was very cheeky indeed when I was younger. And when my mum was younger, too.
We took her out today to a restaurant to celebrate her 90th birthday. She only remembered when someone mentioned it. And she can’t remember how old she is. I can tell her and she’ll forget again in under a minute. Under 30 seconds, even.
But she’s still smoking. Her breathing sounds horrible–the nurse at the home asked me if I wanted to send her to the hospital tonight, but I can’t be there with her, so the nurse said they’ll keep an eye on her. She has a puffer. My mum, that is. I don’t know if the nurse has one.
It’s rotten, getting old.
My mother never gets involved in conversations. Can’t make decisions. The simplest things confuse her, like whether or not she should have two creams in her coffee or one. In that case, it’s not that she can’t decide, it’s that she doesn’t understand the concept.
But, she still knows she wants to smoke.
Perhaps it’s the only thing that keeps her alert.
A photo of my mum and Alex, signing “friend” together. Taken about 8 years ago.
Not sure how I got from “cheeky” to here. Ah well. Such is stream of consciousness writing.
2019-2020 SoCS Badge by Shelley! https://www.quaintrevival.com/
This post is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the following link to find the other participants’ posts in the comment section and see how you, too, can join in! It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2020/02/14/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-feb-15-2020/
lindaghill.com 
February 21, 2020 at 4:11 pm
Tobacco is SO addictive. Quitting smoking was hardest thing I ever did. Until I had cheeky teenagers, that was harder.
LikeLike
February 21, 2020 at 5:54 pm
Haha! Yes, cheeky teens can be a handful. ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
February 22, 2020 at 1:01 pm
🙂 ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
February 17, 2020 at 1:48 pm
I don’t like this getting old lark either 😜💜💜💜💜
LikeLike
February 16, 2020 at 12:00 pm
SOCs rather end up that way, often, eh? While the concerns of safety and lungs, and breathing, etc., are all valid, nicotine also has a medical history of being used to treat various forms of mental debilitation/disease – while the addictive side is known, not as much is widely mentioned regarding the studies done in psychology and neurology on the treatment of various illness with pharmaceutical grade nicotine – there may be internal reasons beyond being a lifelong smoker, that drive the craving – just FYI – 😀
LikeLike
February 16, 2020 at 9:27 am
A poignant post. Hope your mum gets better.
LikeLike
February 16, 2020 at 7:24 am
Sounds like you had a busy day. Fair enough that you’re late. Somehow, I’m not surprised you were a cheeky kid 😏
Happy Birthday to mom.
LikeLike
February 16, 2020 at 4:16 am
At 90 years old, it would hardly make a difference if your mom quit smoking and it could actually kill her I would think. I was never cheeky as a kid, I was quiet and well behaved.
LikeLike
February 16, 2020 at 2:56 am
That’s so sad, about your mom. Both of my grandmothers had Alzheimer’s. Watching them go down hill was so hard. It scares me because every time I forget something I wonder if genetics are playing me. You are doing all the right things as are such a great mom and daughter. You deserve all the best in life, maybe sainthood?
LikeLike
February 16, 2020 at 2:40 am
When we were younger, a classic one from my Pops… Remember English isn’t his first language….”I’ve heard of hamburger and cheese burger… What’s this dirty burger and cheeky burger?”
LikeLike
February 16, 2020 at 2:23 am
When my grandmother was in the throes of dementia, she was still smoking. My aunt was worried that she would leave an unattended cigarrette somehwere. I suppested they tell her she had stopped smoking years earlier. It took a week or so, but she finally stopped asking to smoke. It was just one trick to try and keep her safe. Good luck.
LikeLike