Books: An excerpt from "Moments this Good"

CHAPTER 36—FINE DINING

Here I sit at McDonald’s. It’s been a long time since I frequented this place. My kids are all grown up and moved away. I thought except for the occasional trip when my grandchildren visit or I’m hit by a craving for French fries I was not going to be seen sitting inside again. But here I am and what a treat it is for me today.

Mom still loves her hamburgers.

I think we all have to indulge in a good old juicy burger once in a while. It’s part of that kid who remains in each of us. Well with Alzheimer’s, Mom had that “kid thing” for sure—some days more than others. Often I picked up a burger at lunchtime and took it to Avamere for Mom. Add a strawberry milkshake and she was definitely eating gourmet! On the day I wrote the above journal entry, the idea had struck to take her to McDonald’s with me.

Little did I guess what fun this would be for her. We took the wheelchair right into the play area full of kids. Since my grandchildren live so far away, I seldom have small children to take for visits to Mom. Let me tell you, I hit the jackpot. Kids were running and screaming and climbing, coming back to their table for a few bites, then more running and screaming and climbing. Did I say I was enjoying this? Yes, but it wasn’t the kids’ fun I was enjoying but my mom’s. She was taking it all in.

“Oh look at that cute little one! He’s so high up there! Do you see him?” “Maybe she shouldn’t push so hard on that net; she might fall!” All the while, her eyes were shining and her smile was wide. I had to remind her to eat.

The only downside was that many kids don’t really see old folks like Mom often. They were afraid or uneasy when she reached out to touch them. Some of the moms understood and encouraged their child to say hello. Some moms were uncomfortable themselves. That’s understandable. It’s not the same world I grew up in where grandparents and older aunts, uncles, and friends lived nearby and visited often. But with so much busyness and commotion around, their reserve was hardly noticeable to Mom. She was having a good time just watching them.

Like the kids from their play, Mom got tired from the noise and stimulation. By the time she finished her lunch I could see she had had enough. (Me too.) When I took Mom back to Avamere she couldn’t wait to tell the other residents about all the kids and the action. One would think we had gone on a great adventure. She got to see some kids and have her special lunch, and I enjoyed seeing many smiles.

Who knew this would be such a great outing? We’ll do this again.