Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Lately, following the most recent fall a month ago, which in itself didn't seem too disastrous (cracking a rib bone only slightly), my 90-year-old mom has been more and more quiet and sleepy. For a person who by everyone's accounts walk, moves and talks a mile a minute and is a firecracker of a personality, this is very odd. And disconcerting.
In the last 4 years since she broke first one hip and then 2 years later the other one, her osteoporosis has worsened and so has her condition of frailty.

At the same time, my 92-year-old father has been suffering his own health problems. Some of this many of you in the KindSpring community already know, but perhaps you didn't realize her situation has worsened in the last 2 weeks. My father says she is "just not her old self"-meaning she was still talkative until a couple of weeks ago, when she was still ill but could cook meals and play her harp and other things, and now is no longer like that. It is terrible seeing my father struggle to get her to talk, say something, when she doesn't have the energy.

The other day, I was reminiscing, and recalled how my mother used to visit with a woman named Mrs. Demopolis, a Greek immigrant, who made the best baklava! She gave lessons on baking them to my mother and as a 4-year-old, I thoroughly enjoyed these visit and the treat I inevitably ended up with! Also, my mom took to baking baklava often for a time and that was sheer pleasure. As I spoke of this over the phone, my silent mom perked up and said how much she'd like to have one again.

Now, they live in Florida and I live in Wales, UK, so I can't sadly pop over and bring her some baklava or even make some in her kitchen. But what I did suggest was that my father or sister could buy them some baklava at a Greek Restaurant and I could do the same, and wouldn't it be fun to eat our baklava at exactly the same time and so, in a sort of way, be together sharing the moment and the pleasure? Both parents loved the idea and we resolved to do it. It was lovely hearing a little happiness in her voice.

Two days later we both had our baklava and shared the experience while our husband's took a picture. It meant a lot to my parents, and to me, to do this. We both had authentic and scrumptious baklava and shared the moment.

My mother said she wants to do this again, maybe with another food or even baklava again! Why not? And as she only weighs 85 lbs and keeps losing instead of gaining, it is good for her to find foods that appeal to her appetite.

It is becoming harder to find ways to communicate over the phone, but this was at least a very yummy way to do so. And it was nice, as well, to evoke pleasant memories of our past.