Thanks For Calling Me Mom

I saw her sitting alone at the table Forlorn, and not expecting any company Up to her I quickly walked and greeted her With a gentle hug and tender kiss on the cheek Momentarily her eyes lit up with fleeting recognition Then just like that,she turned away Recognition gone again but I refused to Give up and so I took her gnarled hand in mine Kissed it softly,leaned in closely and said"Hi Mom" For a moment tears welled up in her eyes and she thanked me "For what?" I asked and she said quietly "Thanks for calling me Mom" and I said"Well You are my mom and always will be"and she smiled At me but then once more turned her head away from me So I began to sing along to the Christmas music they were playing I was hoping she would join in but She merely sneaked sideways peeks at me Trying with all her might to figure out just who I was My heart was breaking inside of me but I didn't let her know At eighty eight I figured she had earned the right of memory loss Forget all the bad years she had spent Defending and fending off an alcoholic husband Protecting her adopted children she loved,from abuse Pretending to everyone things were fine in our troubled home As I watched her lovely,dear,wrinkled face,I recalled another time I was in a class play and she attended alone My father too drunk to come and watch me perform As I came off stage there she was,so proud of me I knew I said"Thanks Mom for coming to watch me in my acting debut" She told me I'd done a good job and that she was glad to call me daughter Beaming she said "And thanks for calling me Mom" "You will always be my mom"I said and then we hugged Now this was one memory I wished with all my soul that she still had But I knew that ship had sailed and so I rose to leave and said"Bye Mom" She looked me over then again said "Thanks for calling me Mom"as my heart did a flip **for contest "My Parent" sponsored by Francine Roberts