I have my grandmother this week. She doesn't talk much anymore. But I decided to try some new things this time. I wanted to give her easy projects we could do together. The first day I read her a picture book and it was precious because she laughed. I haven't heard that laugh in so long.
Today I laid out a simple coloring page of a house with mountains. I traced the edges of a window and left the middle for her to color in. She surprised me by copying my actions and tracing lines all over the page. She drew with focus. Then something extraordinary happened, she began to talk. She told me stories. She paused to look me in the eyes and talk. I almost started crying with the joy of it. It was her, for a brief and beautiful moment, she was herself again.
I wondered if all those times she sat knitting, cooking and sewing were pulled together in this moment of creativity. And I couldn't help but think that when her creative juices began to flow, memories and happy thoughts came with them. Perhaps that's why she could suddenly connect the dots and hold onto memories. I hope so.
I hope you'll try something creative today; see where it takes you!
