Dear Mom

On March 11th my mother's retirement community instituted a no visitors policy. Since I am now unable to visit my mother, I've started writing her little note cards every few days. The nurses have to read them aloud to her because she is no longer reading on her own, but the mail brightens her day and provides momentary topics of conversation.

Grammie Moyer's weekly letters to Mom were legendary: routinized rundowns of her week's goings-on, often with excruciating (for a grandkid) detail, and almost always back and front of one unlined sheet from a 9 x 6 inch writing pad. Mom sent the same weekly tag-ups to her mother as well. Phone calls were rare in those days because of the expense.

While away at college and beyond, I would receive regular, though not weekly, letters from my own mother. I'm pretty sure I hardly ever wrote back. I was more inclined to call in response, and the calls were always appreciated. But now that dementia has progressed, verbal communication is more difficult and often nonsensical. Thankfully, the thrill of receiving mail endures!