I have to write about the encounter I had yesterday as I was sitting in a Dr's office with my patient. Two ladies walked in, I could tell they were mother and daughter due to the look alike, but what was so unusual, one was holding a babydoll. she sat in her chair and rocked her doll back and forth, stroking it's head and patting it's back, she would kiss it and love it. she was very quiet but was infectiously smiling, she had the most serene smile I guess i've ever seen, she watched everybody as they went in and out without saying a word,often looking up at her daughter with pure love, and it was returned, the daughter had the same smile as her mother, and you could tell the bond between them.
I know it's rude to stare, but this is a situation one couldn't help, this daughter acted as if it was the most common thing in the world that a mother take her doll to the Doctors office, she didn't care what people might think of her mother or make fun of her, this was her mother and she was doing what was best.>But not many children would be as thoughtful as this daughter, they would be ashamed to be seen in public with a grown woman holding a doll. it would be unspeakable.
I spoke to the daughter before leaving the building and commended her for being so caring toward her mother, she said 'I love my mama' but now i'm the mama, her mother looked up at her and smiled as if to say, i'm glad, a picture is worth a thousand words. I told her my profession and how many times I've seen children abuse their parent verbally.
I worked six years on one of my private sitting jobs and then resigned for this very reason. I had my mother six years, she had alzheimers and parkinsens disease, if you've never had to deal with just one of these illnesses your blessed. but a caregiver has to do what has to be done, if you take your child to a facility where you know it's going to take awhile, what do you do? you take a toy, well these people are back in their second childhood, they don't know any better. I told the daughter, your mom probably considers the doll as being you as a baby.
The daughter thanked me for the praise and said not many people would understand, and that I was the first one who had commended her. This should not be, if you see someone who has went that extra mile for someone, especially an aged parent, give them applause, tell them how great you think it is in their effort to see to their loved one. It is not an easy task.
