The Time of My Life

1987

Jessica sat cross-legged in front of the TV, eagerly awaiting the start of Dirty Dancing. All of her friends had seen it already; Jessica’s mother finally relented when it came on cable television and now Jessica would not be out of the loop. Her mom, Liz, settled into the old brown plaid couch, avoiding the squeaky cushion in the middle. She passed a bowl of buttery popcorn to Jessica for them to share.

Jessica was riveted to the sight of Patrick Swayze’s gyrating pelvis. So this was what all of her friends were gushing about. They were right, he had an amazing bod. Of course she wanted him too. The time passed quickly and the final dance scene began. Liz hopped up from the couch and grabbed Jessica’s hand. “C’mon, let’s dance like the old ladies in the movie!” “Mom, you’re such a weirdo!” Jessica exclaimed, but soon she was giggling and twirling around the room with her mother to the tune of “Time of My Life”. “Not quite Patrick Swayze, but I guess I was a good enough partner, huh?” Liz joked. “I guess in a few years you will have your own dance partner,” said Liz, glancing at her 12 year old daughter. “Yeah, maybe, but not now. Middle school boys are grody!” “Oh, hon, you’ll change your mind about boys someday!” Liz winked at her. Yeah right, thought Jess. Maybe if they start looking like Patrick Swayze!

2000

It was almost time for the final dance of the night. Jessica couldn’t be happier.  It was the day she married her best friend; there had certainly been quite a few “toads” along the way as her mother said. The wedding had been beautiful; 80 degrees and sunny with but a few wispy clouds in the sky. A wonderful brunch with her bridesmaids and mom with plentiful mimosas, followed by a short ceremony by the lake.  The reception had been fun, lots of laughter and dancing. Any snags had been smoothed out by Liz along the way, with Jessica none the wiser. Liz sidled over to her daughter as the strains of “Now I…had…the time of my life…” came from the speakers. “Jess, you didn’t! I thought you said you would never play that as your final song because everyone was doing it”. “I know, but I thought, what the hell. It would be fun to dance to, all of us together”. Jessica grabbed her mother’s hand and they twirled around the dance floor. Liz smiled broadly at her daughter and grabbed her in a hug as the song, and the night, ended. It was a bittersweet moment for any parent; the joy you felt seeing your child so happy, but knowing this was the end of an era, your child embarking on their own adult life to start their own family. Liz wouldn’t change a thing; being Jessica’s mom and watching her grow certainly had been the time of her life.

December 25, 2020

Liz watched through the living room window as her daughter’s black SUV drove down the street and entered the driveway. She wiped away her tears, took a deep breath, and tried her best to look composed. Jessica, Tom, and their two boys got out of the vehicle, their arms loaded with presents. Liz held the door for them as they entered and piled the gifts high by the tree. Then they were free to exchange hellos and hugs. Jessica noted her mother’s red-rimmed eyes. “Mom, what’s wrong?” “Oh, just…there was this Coke in the fridge, and it exploded all over everything, and I thought I would never get it clean”. Jessica regarded her mother warily. Surely, that couldn’t be all. Her mother was generally very stoic, and it wasn’t like her to cry over something so trivial. “Mom, are you sure that’s it?” she inquired. “Yes, Jess, it was just a big mess, and you all were coming, and I wanted everything to be perfect…” she trailed off. “Ok, Mom. Let’s just have a glass of wine and relax”. Jessica entered the kitchen and noted Coke-soaked paper towels strewn about the floor and the refrigerator door still open. “Mom, were you in the middle of cleaning up when we showed up?” asked Jessica. “Yes…I just…got distracted”, stammered Liz. Jessica shut the refrigerator door (everything still seemed cold, so thankfully it couldn’t have been left open too long) and helped her mother clean up. Again, she regarded her mother. It certainly wasn’t like her to stop in the middle of a task. She should have still been cleaning with Jessica’s family showed up. After Jessica was finished, she was able to look up, where she noticed post-it notes covering almost every square inch of cabinet and drawer. “Mom, what’s with the post-its”? she asked. “Oh, they’re just there to help me remember things,” said Liz. Jessica walked slowly around the kitchen cabinets, noting her mother’s delicate lettering on each note. “Take iron pill with full glass of water, 6:00 a.m.” read one. “Garbage goes out Monday nights”, read another. Ok, not so unusual for a 75 year old woman to keep track of these things, thought Jessica. “Jessica and family coming 12/25 at 5:00. Unlock front door” read the note on the front of the refrigerator. Jessica frowned. Did her mother really need to remind herself to unlock the door; and more importantly, did she not remember Jessica was coming? Her family went to her mother’s house on Christmas Day every year for the past 20 years, and they always showed up at 5:00. Jessica began to get an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach, but did not want to ruin their family’s Christmas. 

December 25, 2023

Jessica entered the lobby of The Meadows early on Christmas morning. She signed herself in the logbook and went over to the door of the Alzheimer’s unit to enter the code. The unit where her mother had been living for the past two years was kept locked, to protect the residents. They had a tendency to slip out and get lost. Invariably, Jessica had difficulty entering the backwards code and one of the staff needed to help her. Jessica entered the unit and was immediately depressed. There sat her mother, slumped in a chair in front of the TV which was showing “It’s A Wonderful Life”. A few of the residents were smiling and repeating lines, but her mother was sleeping again. At least they were out of their rooms and socializing together. Jessica tiptoed over to her mother and gently shook her awake. “Hi, Mom, it’s me. It’s Christmas, and I brought you a present”. Liz stared blankly at her daughter. Liz did not recognize her daughter; she had not known who she was for quite some time. Jessica still visited her frequently and always on Christmas Day, the routine they had established so long ago. Liz let Jessica escort her to her room, where Jessica presented her with her Christmas gift: headphones and an Ipod of all of Liz’s old favorite songs. Liz let Jessica place the headphones over her ears; Jessica hit the play button. Bill Medley’s bass-baritone sang out, “Now I’ve had the time of my life…”. Recognition flashed in Liz’s eyes. “I remember this song, it’s from Dirty Dancing!” Jessica’s heart swelled. “How about one more dance, Mom?” Liz laughed, a hearty laugh Jessica had not heard from her in a long time. “Yes, Jess! Like the old ladies we are now!” she cackled. Jessica grasped her mother’s hand and they twirled around the room.