Mimi Day

For those of you who don't know Mimi,  she is my husband's 92 year old aunt.  Profoundly deaf and though she does have some sight she has just been registered blind.  Her short term memory is practically lost and she gets confused.  These disabilities in no way define her.  With each new vicissitude she seems to give a mental shrug and gets on with it.  She remains Mimi, loving, caring, with a quick wit and a great sense of humour.

When I have a Mimi day, when I visit her, I always know that I will have a day of love and laughter.   As we sit side by side, holding hands, I try to bring some of the outside world to her.  A little while ago I told her about Gather in the simplest way I could, saying that you and I exchanged letters.  For some reason it caught her imagination and stuck in her memory.   It has become customary for me to say "Your friends were asking after you" and its marvelous to see her face light up with wonder.

The other day the message got a bit mixed - her sight is no longer good enough to lip read - and she was worried that she wouldn't be able to offer you anything.  She thought that you were all going to come and see her and she mourned the fact that she couldn't make you tea.  We laughed then and that's when she said "Tell them that..." http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976914307

Memories of long ago still linger and we had a brief foray into her first day at school and the various jobs she had had, wonderful stories all.

At one point I picked up my handbag and then I couldn't remember why.

"I tell you what" she said, quick as a flash "I'll go to your place and you stay here".

I reluctantly left and came home smiling.