“Eet Smakelijk” – part 2

Checking his watch, my dad announced to no one in particular, ” It’s almost time to eat.” We waited patiently for the aides to place Mom in her wheelchair and then slowly walked to the dining area. Some arrive an hour before the meal is served. The aide accidentally placed my mother in another resident’s spot. He angrily demanded that his spot was returned to him, the rightful owner. “It doesn’t matter,” I directed the aide. “She can move to another table”. Some things aren’t worth the fuss. I distracted the angry resident by asking him about his shirt that featured the National Asparagus Festival. Similar to the classroom, distracting an angry person usually works.

For some reason, I always seem to arrive around eating time, but I am grateful for the opportunity to encourage my mom’s eating. Her weight has been fluctuating around 63-65 pounds. Today, I decided to make it a contest. I took a photo of the food and cheerily announced that we were going to have a contest to see if she could eat all three bowls. ” Our goal, Mom, is to see if the photo I take at the end of the meal will look different.” Her expression seemed to say, “Make me”. It reminded me of times when my kids needed to eat their vegetables and desired ice cream instead. Determined, I pressed onward. When she pushed the food away, I kept spoon- feeding her. At times, she looked at me angrily and pushed my arm, indicating her displeasure. I persisted. My father joined the effort by using words of encouragement. It was like we were food cheerleaders. Despite her unwillingness, she managed to finish some of the food.

Aides complete the task of feeding and and serving patients three times a day. They cheer when patients like my mother gain weight. They feel a sense of disappointment when the weight decreases. They are heroes and deserve recognition for a thankless task.

We ended the meal by walking over to the piano where I played some hymns for the listening ears of my parents and others. Unfortunately, the C note still needs tuning! I will return again tomorrow to see I can encourage them again as the journey continues…..

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