Mom is in the hospital again, the second time in two weeks. Again she had a high temperature and her blood pressure shot up. I saw her this morning. She was getting oxygen and an IV. Her hands hooked over the covers, so thin and frail they were like skeleton hands, or some little bird's claws. She said "hi" to me in a whisper, but, though her eyes were open, she had a puzzled look as if she didn't know why I was there.
After a while I went away. I went back tonight at 10:00pm, after our meeting about the church. Carol Wallace took me and stayed with Petey. I only intended to ask at the desk how she was, but they said, "Just go on back", so I did. Her eyes were open and she smiled at me, but then she didn't seem to see me any more. I kissed her and told her how much I love her (all in whispers so as not to wake the woman in the next bed), then sat beside her till she went to sleep. I tiptoed out, tho I don't think any noise I made would have wakened her-and met Carol and Petey at the hospital entrance sitting on a bench in the cool, under a full moon.
Nancy Lawson
a picture from her early teaching days in San Franciso
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