“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!”
― Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
2023 is a bittersweet Christmas and is probably my mother's last Christmas with us. That's our reality. Every day could be her last, in this End-Stage Alzheimer's. There's just no way to know as she gets more forgetful (not just in memory, but in how to physically function). She also has become weaker by the day. We are also both sick as well.
To me, it was very important that her family be there for Christmas, even though I have flu-like symptoms. It isn't about me. Time is all my mom has left. I wish people would put their differences aside and think about my mom, instead of whatever it is they are mad about. Shamefully, not everyone came over. It was expected, but still hoped for something different. It is what it is. We still had fun.
We bought lots of food, and spent hours cooking. But, we made the best of our Christmas. This Christmas included my mom, my sister Jeri, her boyfriend Geoffrey, my children's father Mike, my two sons Kalib and Christopher, my husband Trevor, and myself. Small and intimate.
Our endeared neighbors Shawn and Katie also came over for a short time. They had their family to visit. They gave us an extremely soft and beautiful, fuzzy, faux fur blanket. We gave them wine.
My mom has been lying down a lot. She doesn't have much of an appetite these days. She can barely have a conversation. I made her sit up for Christmas. She was happy to have us around her. She was showered with gifts. I only wanted to share a handful of the many photos we took. I'm glad I took photos and video (which I won't share).
