Breakfast at Jim's

For the past 15 years or so my parents have frequented a little old-fashioned diner called Jim's in NW OKC. This morning Dad wanted us all to go to breakfast there. It is a VERY lo-key place and somewhere Mom is familiar.

We met in separate cars at the restaurant and I pulled up next to her car door. I watched as she couldn't figure out how to get her car door open. She just sat staring at the handle. My daughter, Annaliese got out of her booster seat and jumped out of my car to go assist Grammy. She got her out of the car with a little help from Pa-Pa and then escorted her grandmother ever so carefully across the parking lot to the restaurant door.

Once we were seated I began my taking orders job. I get an order from dad since he has trouble hearing, I decide on an order for mom, and the kids, and then begin to figure out what I want. Today, mom couldn't remember what she might think would sound good. I kept throwing out ideas, and she would just repeat me and stare off in space. I chose for her a Belgium Waffle and some bacon. She didn't care. When it arrived, I cut it up in little bites and poured on her syrup. She ate over half of the waffle. I guess we made a good choice.

We enjoyed a breakfast together, but I couldn't help but think how difficult it must be for her not to know what is going on at all. I know when I pulled up in my car I was wearing glasses; this is something I rarely do. Sometimes I wear them to look "cool" or to help with driving. I noticed as she looked up at me, she couldn't recognize me. I immediately pulled off my glasses and said, "Do you know me now?" She smiled a familiar smile and said, "I think so, but I didn't at first." You just forget that little things can throw someone with memory loss off their "normal".