Mom's walk

My brother David came over, and after a delay caused by Mom's rapt attention to a Korean soap she had to finish watching, we headed out as a family to a new park for us-- Lake Accotink Park, which was recommended to us by David.

The park was very beautiful despite all the gnats. We lamented not bringing along some sort of bug repellent, but were otherwise impressed that such a park existed in the midst of so much development in the Springfield area.

Mom felt brave enough to tackle a set of concrete stairs that led up from the parking lot to a small ridge or berm along one arc of the lake. It must have been around 30 or 40 steps-- far more steps than Mom has tried to climb since April 16. Somehow, Mom managed the climb, though her legs were somewhat weak afterward. Dad and I had moved away from Mom after she'd made it to the top of the stairs (David had been holding her hand) when Mom suddenly lost her balance and found herself sitting on the ground. David must have cushioned Mom's fall; she was completely unhurt, and Mom was embarrassed. We helped her to her feet; she remained steady the rest of the time, but we let her rest at the first bench we came to along the berm. While we rested, David took off and came back with drinks. Mom refused my lemonade, but accepted some of Dad's Sprite.

As she did at other parks, Mom managed to walk a fairly decent distance totalling several hundred yards. We were proud of her. Our mini-trek took us along the lake's edge to the marina and picnic area (where David had bought the drinks) before we turned around again. We guys noted with amusement that the term "marina" seemed a bit of a misnomer for the tiny strip of lakeside beach at which aquaphiles could rent pedal boats or canoes: the lake itself wasn't that big, and the only watercraft were the tiny, rentable ones-- no powered boats at all, as David noted.

The drive home was a happy one; we ordered Chinese food through David's iPhone and picked it up on the way home. Mom might not have much of an appetite these days, but she's vigorous enough to tackle a tall set of stairs and walk for a good fraction of a mile. That's got to mean something.


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