The Door Prize

When I ran out of enthusiasm to decorate my mother’s apartment, an unexpected award energized me again. by Jeanette Levellie

When Mom, an 86-year-old widow, moved from the big city to our rural town to live near us, I was thrilled but worried. I knew that saying goodbye to the friends and familiar places she’d known for three decades—not to mention finding a new home for

Photo: elm98/stock.Adobe.com

her beloved cat, Rufus—would be a rough adjustment, and I wanted to do all I could for Mom as her only remaining child.

I asked God for ways to show my love for her. Although I was no longer a child, I wanted to honour God by honouring her, like the Apos-

tle Paul told us to do in Ephesians 6:2. “Help me find some ways to be a blessing to Mom, and make her smile.”

I Can Do That! Every Wednesday, I joined Mom in the dining room of her assisted-living facility for lunch. This became our weekly tradition. After we ate, we’d mosey back to her apartment and chat awhile before I had to return to work. It was usually the same topics we’d discussed the week before, but I didn’t mind. Mom got lonely, far from her friends. It made her happy that I listened. And I often prayed with her before I left.

My husband and I took her to eat after church occasionally, or had her to our house for a meal. She loved talking to our cats, looking at the family pictures that covered our walls and playing board games. We took Mom shopping, to movies and

Maternal Bond Jeanette Levellie (left) with her mother. Jeanette’s labour of love brightened her mother’s day

yard sales. But I wanted to do more.

I noticed that many of Mom’s neighbours decorated their doors for holidays. Mom liked to take us around the building and point out the prettiest ones.

I can do that! I thought. It will help Mom feel more a part of this little community. Since I enjoyed decorating my own home, I figured it wouldn’t be a problem to share the fun with Mom, adding a bit of bling to the outside of her apartment.

From Fun to Chore Near the end of winter’s gloomy days, I put up brightly coloured paper flowers and a “Welcome Spring!” wreath. For Valentine’s Day, pink and red hearts dipped in glitter danced across the walls leading to her apartment. In summer, a silk flower arrangement sat under her mailbox. In the fall, I decorated the door with a wreath of pumpkins and a grinning

What began as a way to honour Mom and help her feel loved was now a chore.

stuffed bear. And at Christmas, a “Jesus is the Best Gift” wall hanging reminded everyone why we celebrate this season.

This was an exciting and fun project. For the first year.

Then the newness wore off and it became a chore to take down old decorations, pack them and put up the new items. Since Mom lacked storage space, I had to haul the boxes of each season’s decorations home to store in our basement.

After four years of this routine, I wondered why I even started the beautify-Mom’s-space project in the first place.

What began as a way to honour Mom and help her feel loved was now a chore. Did it really make a difference to her if she had a wreath on her door or not? Why was I knocking myself out so glittery hearts could fill the walls?

Then I discovered why.

Worth Every Minute “You know those ladies who come from the church around the corner every week?” Mom said one Wednesday when I stopped by for lunch. “Well, yesterday they gave me a dollar!”

“Really?” I said, leaning forward in my chair. “Why did they give you a dollar?”

“They told me I won the door prize for the best fall decorations!” She laughed like a young girl, and her brown eyes crinkled at the corners when she grinned. It made my heart sing.

I rejoiced with her over her “winnings” and forgot all about the chore of decorating her door and walls. My labour of love had brightened her day. Not only had God helped me honour her, others had honoured her, too. I knew I was doing the right thing.

I even let her keep the dollar.

(left) Author of five books and hundreds of published articles, Jeanette Levellie and her husband make their home in Paris, Illinois. Jeanette’s hobbies include spoiling her three grandchildren, pampering her cats and inventing new ways to avoid housework. Find her splashes of hope and humour at www.jeanettelevellie.com.