Holding On To Mom

By Mary M. Cushnie-Mansour

Over the next few months, I will be telling Olivia’s story. Olivia has been faced with the awful reality of losing her mom – not once, but twice. Dementia was slowly eating away at the once vibrant woman, Violet, and there was nothing Olivia could do to stop it. What she could do, though, was not forget her mom – the woman – and love her as always, cherishing each moment that was being bequeathed to her.

Holding On To Mom is a work of fiction, however the threads of truth that are filtered throughout the story can be related to by so many of our generation today. I hope you enjoy the story as I impart it to you.

To open this story, I will begin with a poem that I wrote for my own mom when she turned 80…

 my mother’s lines

before me stands a woman
who has witnessed countless years
yet if you were to set eyes upon her
you would not distinguish how many
for her facial skin is unlined
her eyes are bright with curiosities
her arms are strong and firm
as they peek from the sleeves of her blouse
her hair is only speckled with grey
figments of a brunette beauty peeking through
laughing at time

her walk is sure and steady
her talk of things to come
things she’s looking forward to doing
events she is going to witness
all lead me to believe this woman will live forever –
that age is stayed at her door by
the brightness of her smile
the innocence of her heart

I sigh in relief
knowing she will be
eternally by my side

suddenly she lifts her arm
pointing to something beautiful in her garden
it was then I saw it––
time’s destruction upon her skin
had I seen this before––perhaps
how often had I turned a blind eye

time
was hiding on the inside of her arm
waiting for its moment to emerge––
to show me my mother’s
laughter, joys, celebrations
hardships, sorrows, pain
lines
etched upon her skin
meandering
shaping the road map of her life

at that moment I understood
how fragile and precious was her life to me
how this sequence of lines
detailed her every
breath and deed

my mother will celebrate another birthday soon
I shall savour each one she bestows to me
love you mom––
yesterday, today, and forever…

I hope you have enjoyed this and will return to hear the rest of Olivia’s Story. Please feel free to make comments or ask questions.