A Rocking Chair’s Legacy

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By Virginia Pillsbury

I was about seven years old when my mother’s new upholstered rocking chair was delivered to our house. It rocked, it swiveled and who knew that it would become such a source of comfort over the years.

I remember having that “all is right with the world” feeling when I would come in the door from school and find my mother sitting and reading in her chair. She rocked me, my children and countless other babies in that chair. She laughed, cried and napped there; I believe that it was a haven for her.

It is also where she sat and prayed. I am sure many early mornings and late nights she sat in that chair and read her Bible and prayed for those she loved.

For now that chair resides in my house and it is where I start my mornings with quiet time to pray and get ready. I love that this routine is a link to my mother who now sits in a different chair in her room at the Allegro.

I am reading Mothering Mother by Carol O’Dell. It is a wonderful account of her time tending to her mother with Alzheimer’s. I laugh and I cry as I read it because while Carol describes her mother’s Alzheimer’s journey, I recognize that it is a universal journey. Some of the things she writes could just as easily be about my mother. If you are parenting your parent whether they live with you, in your town or many miles away, I recommend this book to you. I also suggest finding others who are going through the same thing – I have such a friend and when we meet and talk and laugh about our experiences, it brightens my day and my outlook.

This month my mother celebrates seven years at the Allegro. Though her mind continues to fog, she holds onto her sense of humor and even though some days are very hard (she would rather eat candy and ice cream than meat and vegetables; she’s 93, who can blame her?), I know that she is doing her best and I love that about her.

I know that the time will come all too soon when I won’t be able to hold her hand and tell her that she is the best mother in the world. I remain grateful for each day that I have with her.