A step forward

For the first time in about a year, mom went to the store yesterday. It may not seem like a big deal but ever since her treatment, she had not been out to anywhere except to the hospital.

Well, she didn't go alone yesterday. Our domestic helper Wati was with her and my father dropped them off at the shop before leaving for work. After shopping, they took a taxi home. For years, it had been their old routine.

When I got home in the evening, she told me all about her little day out...what they had bought, how helpful Wati was and how lucky they were to meet a nice taxi driver. For her, it was liberating and I could feel her sense of achievement. To me, that is a big step forward.

For the last few months, mom had been tottering about in the house with the aid of a walking stick. Whenever she hears the phone ringing, she would shuffle to the phone as fast as her legs could carry her, only to find that the caller had already hung up. She would sit by the phone waiting for it to ring again.

For someone who used to be very fleet-footed, it was a very frustrating period for her. Not to mention what it does to her self-esteem. Well, she's still plagued by many ailments like dizziness, leg cramps and lack of strength but I'm glad to see some improvement lately.

That's a good sign.