Coming Outside

Yesterday my wife took my son over to see his grandmother, and lo and behold, everything went well. Her mom seemed to be in good spirits and was glad to see her grandson. My son was happy to see ‘Grandma’ as well. Everyone seemed to enjoy each other’s company, and that does not always happen.

My mother-in-law is still very self-conscious since having all her teeth pulled. It hurts her to wear her dentures, so she doesn’t. Of course, if she does not wear them, she will not get use to them. If she does not wear them, she remains self-conscious. What tends to happen is, she does not wear them and then she will not come out of her apartment.

Yesterday when they were over there, my wife told her mom that her mom had a number of e-mails. My wife printed out instructions as to how her mother could access her e-mail account and then said, “Mom, why don’t you come downstairs with us and I’ll show you how.”

Much to my wife’s surprise, her mother agreed and the three of them headed down. As they got on the elevator, my wife realized she left the instructions back in the apartment and said, “You continue downstairs. I’ll go back and get them and show you how to check.”

Her mom told her not to and that she was not going to check her e-mail right now anyway. Still she said she would walk my wife and my son out. This is major progress as she was out of her apartment and downstairs where people socialize. I even think she is now planning on eating in the dinning room with everyone else. For some people that might not seem like much but for my mother-in-law, it is a major step.