My friend Mike complimented me a couple of years ago saying I was able to follow two or three conversations happening around me at the same time. I credit it to being a trainer and having to pay attention to a room full of people working at different speeds. And I’m sure that’s part of it. Sometimes when I’m with mom I wonder if it’s partly
the way I’m wired biologically.

Even though my mom doesn’t initiate or really have many conversations anymore, it doesn’t mean she’s not constantly listening to everything that’s going on around her. She’ll turn her head when she hears something down the hall. She’ll repeat a word or phrase that’s said on TV. She’ll even pick up and repeat the pages over the loudspeaker.

Though we don’t have conversations, mom is still listening when we talk. She’s still paying attention. A nursing home is a busy and loud place, with lots of simultaneous conversations, equipment beeping, TVs playing, and visitors in and out. She’s takes it all in.

Yesterday when Joey was telling me a story that involves a getting a “boob job,” mom picked right up on it and wouldn’t stop repeating the phase…