A few days ago, I took Mom to the large mall nearby for a pedicure. We each got one, and I really enjoyed it! I’m not so sure about Mom, though. We sat side by side, and once I turned on the massage in the chair where she was sitting. A quick frown from her side let me know that was not comfortable at all. So I just as quickly turned it back off. Periodically I would lean over to make sure she was all right. She was mostly engrossed in whichever toe the young lady was working on. She appeared to be fairly relaxed, so I relaxed, too.
When it was time, I asked Mom to select the right color of polish. I tried to get her to pick a bright red, but she would have none of that. She chose a color similar to the dark pink she has worn for years. Then I asked her if she would like flowers on her big toes. She agreed to have them, and the lady did a lovely job, a white flower with a touch of silver to make each one sparkle. I’m not sure this was Mom’s first pedicure, but I think maybe it was. Once before, a few years ago, I tried to get her to go have one, and she said she could do her own toenails.
I also am not sure how much the pedicure relaxed Mom, but I do know we had fun. After we left the salon, we “scooted” with our little cheapy flip flops on—all the way to the car, laughing and trying to be careful as we went. Then we went by Boston Market for a take-home dinner and headed back to the house.
One thing I noticed when we first arrived at the mall was that Mom did not shuffle when she walked. At home nowadays she always shuffles, but she seemed to be aware that she was out in public and needed to pick up her feet. I have been told the shuffling is a result of her loss of balance or her perception of space around her. Yet she walked through the mall as if she went there daily, albeit slightly slower than she formerly walked.
Overall, I think the outing was very successful, and I intend to plan more of them. Mom is quite a bit more relaxed out in the car with me than she is at home, where she tends to withdraw as she sits in her recliner, telling the same two or three things over and over. I think the “new” surroundings are refreshing to her, and her smile makes it all worth the effort to me.
One more thing: Two days later one of my sisters commented on her pretty feet with flowers on her nails. Mom said, "I did it myself."
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