Mom had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s for a couple years and had moved five times. She had to leave the home she had lived in for over 50 years, she moved in with us, and then moved to three different facilities. These years had been hard and she had not been happy until she moved to Magnolia Trace, a retirement community that had different levels of care. It was here that things started to improve and she began to thrive again. I believe she lived some of her best days that she had in many years.

After a short stay in the memory care unit, Mom was moved to assisted living because she had improved so much. She had a beautiful bedroom looking out over the terrace. She began to make friends and found purpose in life again. 

Mom had always enjoyed helping others. They asked her to set the tables for the meals and this made Mom so happy. If she saw a need that the other residents had, she would try to help them. If a resident was not eating well, she would try to help feed them or encourage them to eat. There were times she even tried to push other residents in their wheelchairs although she was using a walker. They played everyone’s favorite game there, Bingo. If they won, they would receive Bingo bucks to redeem every few weeks at the Bingo store. Mom racked up on the Bingo bucks. The activity director told me that if someone did not have any bucks and seemed to want something in particular, Mom would discreetly buy it for them. Mom had always been a giving person with her time and money. This facility allowed her the opportunity to continue to give and fulfill her servant’s heart. 

We never dreamed the children would be allowed to spend the night with her at this facility but they approved it and Matt was able to spend the night with her. I am not sure they got much sleep but they sure enjoyed playing checkers, visiting other residents, watching fireworks for the Fourth of July, and watching their favorite shows on TV. Special memories were being made.

The next three years, they asked Mom to be Mrs. Claus at their Christmas party. They hired a Santa Claus and during the Christmas Party, all the residents would get their picture made with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Mom overflowed with joy at being Mrs. Claus. It brought us so much joy to see her smiling ear to ear. It is one of my favorite memories of Mom. 

At the assisted living, Mom had so much fun. They were always having different activities, often bringing different people in to perform for the residents. They had parties every chance they got. Every week, they would take a facility bus and go shopping, go riding around downtown, go get ice cream or go to the Botanical Gardens. Family was allowed to accompany them so I got to go on a few trips with her. 

Matt and Emily were 10 and 12 years old when Mom moved to this facility. They would get bored sitting around just visiting with Mom in her room. I wanted them to spend time with her knowing our time was precious. We signed them up to volunteer with activities at the facility. I do not know who enjoyed it more, Mom or the children. The childrens’ favorite thing to do was to call Bingo. They also enjoyed helping with the sing-a-longs. They would help transport  residents in their wheelchairs to the different activities. Mom loved seeing the children help with activities and it was a way for the children to get to visit with Mom without just sitting around. The children enjoyed the residents and it helped to instill in them a servant’s heart. 

Mom had great days at Magnolia Trace until the last year she was there. She developed compression fractures and was in tremendous pain. She had several epidurals that helped short term. The pain became so severe that it was interfering with her ability to perform her activities of daily living. Because of this, she was no longer able to live in assisted living and we were faced with the decision of finding the best facility that could care for her.

We were so thankful for the several good years we had with Mom as she was thriving at Magnolia Trace. We were able to make some incredible memories with her. We praised the Lord for His mercy and grace. Mom made some dear friends there and I made lifelong friends. 

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As long as you are breathing, the Lord has a purpose for your life. Mom found purpose again and the Lord used her to serve others and to bring joy to others at this facility. It was because she felt she had a purpose that she thrived. The same is true for me and you. If we feel we have purpose, then we thrive no matter what state of health we are experiencing. Things that seem simple like calling and talking to someone on the phone can give you purpose and bring others joy. If you are able, volunteering is a great way to bring purpose to your life.

The next blog post will be about the last year with Mom. It was the hardest but I continued to find joy sometimes in small ways throughout the year. The Lord is always present during the good and bad. No matter what season of life you are in, continue to look for His Presence.