A grandmother is a mother who has a second chance

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Guess I'll have to switch to Walgreens

When my mother was still alive, she loved to shop at Long's Drug Store in Tucson. Then all the Longs switched to Osco and she was very annoyed. I had moved to California by that time and I remember her calling me to tell me about this horror. She boycotted Osco and went to Walgreens instead! It was that bad for her.

Mom came out to visit me a lot after we moved here and one of the things we always did was head to a Long's so she could shop. It almost became a joke between us. After she died, I would sometimes (not often enough) dream about her and in one dream she was given one day to come back and spend it with me. I was overjoyed. We were sitting in my car and I said, "Where should we go?" She said, "Longs!!!" In my dream I said to her, "Mom, you're here for one day and you want to go to Long's?!?" And we both laughed and hugged.

It was such a wonderful dream, the kind that leaves you feeling a little happy and a lot sad when you wake up.

Recently the Long's Drug Stores around us were purchased by CVS. There is one store that is right across the street from Ed's office and, yesterday, as I was pulling in to the office I saw that the Long's sign had been removed and the CVS sign was in it's place.

My heart sank a little and my eyes teared up. Somehow it made me miss her all the more. Where would I take Mom the next time I'm lucky enough to have that dream? And, if she's watching this, I know she's pissed!

3 comments:

namaste said...

such a cute story, sandi. i love that she occasionally visits you in your dreams.

Desert Diva said...

Your story reminded me when my mother had dementia and had lost her speech. I remember taking her to her "birthplace" near Hazard, Kentucky several years ago for what I knew would be a final visit.

We were driving in the car on the highway when my mother began to make loud utterances, and started pointing.

Sure enough we had driven by a White Castle hamburger place. It became a sort of "tradition" with our family. Where could you possible go out to eat with seven kids except for a place that had "burgers" for twelve cents apiece?

I asked her if she wanted a "White Castle" and she frantically shook her head "yes." So, we took the next exit and my mother happily devoured a couple of White Castle burgers. (I did not - some things it's good to outgrow!)

It was difficult for me to transport her, but I'm so glad I did. It was the last time she saw two of her brothers. They're all passed on now...

Catheroo said...

I think you should take her to Longs in your dreams, and just dream that this CVS thing never happened. Or take her to CVS and laugh about how much it sucks.

I worked for Longs for 4 years and my heart broke a little when I learned about the CVS thing. Blech! I want my Longs back!