The Prayer Chair

When all else fails, PRAY!  That's what every recovering Catholic would do, pray.  Unless of course you have an Aunt Jay, then you call Jay.

Here's how the call went.

"Hello?"

"Hey Jay, it's Sue!  Sorry it took me so long to call you back."  Jay called on New Year's and talked to my mother.  I was going to call her back and explain our new Crazyland.  It was so intense here I never got a chance to call Jay, until today.

"Susan!  That's OK.   Thanks for calling."

Jay was eating dinner.

"I'm having my lunch."  Jay says to me. 

"Your lunch? You mean your dinner."  I said.

"No, it's my lunch.  I bought an Italian Sub today and ate half for lunch and the other half of my lunch for dinner so it's my lunch... "  Jay proclaims as she lets out a laugh.  Jay cracks herself up, she always has and she's still sharp as a tack at 85 going on 86.  Church is her life. 

I told Jay about my mom and how she's had a rough few days.  I explained the details to her about the coat and her grasping her purse.  I was near tears telling Jay about my mom's fast decline.  It was so sudden.  I want to cry but I won't allow myself to cry.  In a sense I feel like I've failed, but I know I won't fail as long as I don't quit.  I can if I think I can has got to be my motto for care giving. 

Jay says, "Oh Susan.  I was just thinking of your mother and I was going to my prayer chair to pray for her right after I ate my luch... (followed by a burst of laughter, Jay found her joke hillarious.) ... tell your mother that I'm going to my prayer chair.  She remembered my prayer chair last week when I talked to her.  Tell her I'm going to my chair right now.  I will say the complete Rosary for her."

"Ok Jay, I'll tell my mom that you are going to the chair."  We both got my joke and we both laughed out loud.

Then we did the 5 minute goodbye.  Jay loves the last word so I like to see how long I can get her to do the "I love you" goodbye.  I can make her go on for awhile, today I kept it at 5 minutes.  I needed her to get to that prayer chair.

I checked on my mom about 5 minutes after hanging up and her eyes are not wild and inhabited looking.  She is back.  I gave her some blackberry ice cream with 5 drops of fenugreek.  She is watching America's Funniest Videos, with Shakti the kitten sitting next to her... she must be giving her Shakti!

Now is it the kitten helping my mom or is it Jay in her prayer chair?  What's your vote?