My Best Friend!

Today I visited with My Mom. She looked so good. Her hair was combed and her clothing matched. That is always a welcoming sight. She has help getting dressed, and I’ve made arrangements that she gets her hair done weekly. Mom is always happy to see me and having that recognition warms my heart. I know my brothers don’t get that from her anymore. It breaks my heart, and I must accept, that one day she won’t remember me either. When I go to visit with Mom, I will look around her room and move items that are out of place. She will have taken the pictures off the walls and will have hung them on a chair or on a doorknob. Her little refrigerator, which is unplugged, will have shoes and
whatever else that fits in it. As I’m making my way around the room, I’m talking with Mom, asking how she’s doing, and just enjoying the little bit of conversation that we share. Then I hear her start talking about this wonderful woman who lives in the next room. How she met her and that she is so sweet. That this woman had ten kids and is so wonderful. Well, I’m thinking, I know that a man lives next to Mom on one side, and on the other side, there is a woman who has only one daughter, whom I’ve met. So, who is she talking about? Mom opens the bathroom door to show me the woman she’s talking about, and here we are, standing face to face with the large bathroom mirror. I see our reflections and she tells me, “That’s her, this is my friend that’s always here!” She goes on to say, “She is my best Friend!” I am taken aback at first, thinking Mom is just pulling my leg. She must know this is a mirror and that this is her reflection. But Mom’s understanding is that this woman in the mirror is her next-door neighbor, her best friend. My heart is saddened and at the same time happy because I can hear in her voice that she truly believes this is a real person, not just a reflection. The mind can
play real tricks on us. I chime in on this fantasy with Mom and ask, “What would happen Mom, if you did this?" and I proceed to stick out my tongue at my reflection. She follows along and sticks hers out at her best friend, only to have her reflected friend do the same to her. I hear her break into a giggle, just like a child who’s been amused. My heart is warmed by this image of my mother, believing that the woman in the mirror is someone other than herself. In fact, as Mom said, it’s her best friend.
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Dear Lord, 
What greater gift do we have but to love ourselves as you have always loved us? To know that this love is the greatest because it’s a gift from you. Love thy neighbor as thy self! I have prayed that Mom would make friends in her new home. This is a gift, Lord. Mom will never feel alone as long as she has her “Best Friend”.
Thank You!