Steeler Sundays aren’t quite the same as they used to be, that’s for sure. Ah, the good times we had over the years! Every Sunday Mom’s family room turned black & gold – Terrible Towels waving like mad, great food in abundance, and yelling galore!! Such fun!

Mom wasn’t having a very good day today. The house was bustling with visitors when I got there, and that sort of commotion tends to bother her. We walked, I sat and rocked her back and forth on the bed, we sat outside for a short while. She yelled, I talked to her, she looked at me blankly. She was so restless, and just generally agitated – a helpless feeling, as nothing you do seems to please her for more than 30 seconds at a time.

After her meds, she finally did lay down on her bed. I held her hand and rubbed her leg, and she fell into a restful sleep. All in all, not a great day, but as always, there were some lovely moments.

We were standing back in her bedroom when she turned and saw the adorable pumpkin that Emily brought her last Halloween. Her expressionless face lit up with a beautiful smile as she looked at the jack-o-lantern and said “awww…”

Not the worst I’ve seen her, but she’s had some better days over the past month. Just trying to enjoy and remember every one of those smiles… And pray for her to feel safe, calm, and content. Seems like so little to ask, doesn’t it?