cried wolf

The boy who cried wolf or The Mom Who Cried Bra.

The musical talent that comes to Stuvwxyz is amazing. Another pianist came to play for the afternoon sing-a-long. She played, by ear, all the show tunes, patriotic songs, camp songs, and folk songs that the residents requested. It was fun.

After the sing-a-long had ended Mom leans into me and whispers "I need a new bra. This one's not right."
"Yes, Mom, your bras are pretty old and worn out."
"No, this one's not mine, they gave it to me to wear."
She proceeds to flip up her jersey and show me a beige padded bra.
"You're right Mom, that bra's not yours." I'm laughing. "You've got somebody's bra on." And it's way too small.

We go to her room to change into her own underwear. I can't find any of her bras.  They are all missing. I help the aide check the laundry room. Another aide tells me that Mom's been complaining about her beige bra. "Well, yes, it's not hers." I'm laughing.  Mom's always been a person who only wears white cotton underwear. This beige nylon padded thing is SO not her style.

After a few quick circumference measurements and a hug goodbye, I leave Mom to her dinner and drive two towns over to pick up an assortment of new white cotton bras.

When I return she is already done with dinner, has put on her pj's, and is getting ready to watch a dvd. She has put two dvd disks into the slot on the top of her tv. 

Mom is very cooperative about trying on the new bras.  From her motions and movements, I think the aides must be helping her get dressed in the mornings, more than I thought they did. I'm pretty sure she got into her pj's by herself, as today's clothes are scattered on the floor. 

We find two that fit well, I pull out my trusty laundry marker and write her name in them. Doesn't everyone carry a laundry marker with them?

So this is the story of The Mom Who Cried Bra.  She has been telling me, and I'm sure she tells her aides too, that the clothes in the closets are not hers: all she owns is a pair of blue jeans. But today she tells them that this bra is not hers and no one believes her.

You've gotta laugh or you're gonna cry.

Good thing she doesn't wear a hearing aid or dentures!