To celebrate National Senior Citizens Day today, we brought Mamacita back to sis’s house to hang out. After lunch, sis and I went for a walk while Mama napped. One cheeky deer in someone’s yard barely budged when we passed within 10 feet of her. As we continued on, she started to follow us a short ways, staring us down and looking like she wanted to shake us down for food. Gradually, she ambled across the road—completely oblivious to an approaching car—while we carried on.

Later, we drove Mamacita through beautiful countryside to Ganondagan State Historic site to learn about the six nations of Native Americans who lived in this region before European invaders took over: Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Seneca, Onondaga, and Tuscarora. They lived in large family groups in long houses, and women played a central role in governance, agriculture, and family life. (Hmm, now there’s an idea.) We had an early supper at a Greek joint by the Erie Canal, watching the rain clouds move in and then tip it down. The refreshing storm swept away the heat and humidity.

The perfect end to a nice meal, of course, is ice cream (chocolate fudge brownie for Mama; coconut cashew caramel for me). We brought her back to her place, fed, tired, and satisfied for having spent a day with family.

I enjoy sitting on the couch with her, showing her random pictures of Hubby’s garden. She loves the flowers and marvels at his green thumb. I enjoy pushing her in her wheelchair around museums, galleries, and gardens, immersing ourselves together in learning new things. She also loves drives in the country. Though seemingly mundane, I know these moments with her are priceless; she didn’t spend much time with her own mom in her final years. Today she wondered whether Grandmacita had been in a wheelchair in the last years of her life (she was). Her younger sister bore the brunt of parental care, and Mama didn’t know much about what her own mother experienced toward the end of her life. I don’t want that to be me.