Home stretch

Another day in our family visit, and another ample dinner. I am torn between being impatient to have these big holiday dinners end so I can eat like a normal person again, and wanting these days to pass more slowly so I can spend more time with my Mom.

Tomorrow we have an early birthday celebration for my Mom. She's had a tough year - a couple of falls, a couple of ambulance rides to emergency. She moves a little bit slower and repeats herself a little bit more. But she's as joyful and vibrant and lovable and loving as always, and it gets a little harder for me to tear myself away each visit.