Cal-ILA
The Visit
By Linda Heune-Solomon
As llama owners I'm sure we have all been asked many times why we raise llamas. Dogs, cats, horses, even other smaller exotic animals seem reasonable, but llamas? I have heard others extol the virtues of llamas. Their powers of healing wounded souls, and their sometimes even magical properties. But other than the good feeling I get while tending them, birthing their crias, and the high of winning in the show ring I have been reluctant to go quite that far. Today I received proof of those magical powers.
In order to tell this story properly I must go back a few weeks. My Mother (80, with Alzheimer's) has been staying with me since my father went into the hospital for knee surgery. The healing ability of the elderly is suspect at best and as will happen, one thing lead to another and he is still hospitalized almost a month later.
Mom's Alzheimer's is rather advanced. She still takes care of her own hygiene and can sometimes dress and undress herself but that is about it. She is mobile and sweeps up a storm. My porch and patio haven't been this clean since--well never. She can still iron but must have the iron plugged in and turned on, then off when finished. One day she was aware there was no steam coming from the iron and having seen me put water in she tried on her own except using liquid laundry detergent. Thank goodness I stopped her in time. She folds clothes from the dryer with meticulous care and vacuums my carpets with a vengeance. She just doesn't know what makes the vacuum work, I don't mean the inner workings, I mean the on-off switch. Even with the 24-7 care required It has been a blessing having this time with her, not just for the chores that for me are drudgery, but getting to spend some quality time even though I doubt she knows who I am. I know her.
My sister, Janie, who lives closer to them, and a brother that lives down the street from them, have been taking care and keeping an eye on them both up to now. With this visit it has become apparent that she will not be going home even if my father gets better. Janie is working and since I work at home, taking care of Mom was something I could do while Sis rides herd on the hospital staff on our fathers behalf. My involvement with my parents over the last years has been minimal since I live quite a distance away. So this time with her has helped me get a better grip on what is important in this life and what is just fluff.
Getting to what llamas have to do with all this. Since she has been here the dog has been a kitty, (no name) and the male cat is a she. Names of things and people are long gone never to be retrieved. She used to love crossword puzzles but words have little meaning now. What is really strange is that she can still spell the words. One day she was speaking gibberish and I understood every word, or at least the intent. Now that's scary.
Somehow in the midst of this she is able to remember what the llamas are. She watches them from the porch or the kitchen window as they move around the hill in, what she calls, their regal manner. This morning she was standing at the window watching them, she turned to me with tears in her eyes and said. "Just watching the llamas makes me feel so good inside." This from a woman who never understood my passion for horses and large animals in general. As a matter of fact she was petrified of horses. Yet she expressed a desire to touch our first cria of the year, born just before her arrival. I brought the baby in the house for a few minutes for Mom to see. Her delight was wonderful to watch. Petting and admiring how calm Bell was to be in a strange place.
This was the time I came to really believed in the magic of llamas, and yes I believe they have the power to heal. No, they are not going to heal my mother, but the enjoyment she derives and the feeling she has being around them is a good as it gets.
In order to tell this story properly I must go back a few weeks. My Mother (80, with Alzheimer's) has been staying with me since my father went into the hospital for knee surgery. The healing ability of the elderly is suspect at best and as will happen, one thing lead to another and he is still hospitalized almost a month later.
Mom's Alzheimer's is rather advanced. She still takes care of her own hygiene and can sometimes dress and undress herself but that is about it. She is mobile and sweeps up a storm. My porch and patio haven't been this clean since--well never. She can still iron but must have the iron plugged in and turned on, then off when finished. One day she was aware there was no steam coming from the iron and having seen me put water in she tried on her own except using liquid laundry detergent. Thank goodness I stopped her in time. She folds clothes from the dryer with meticulous care and vacuums my carpets with a vengeance. She just doesn't know what makes the vacuum work, I don't mean the inner workings, I mean the on-off switch. Even with the 24-7 care required It has been a blessing having this time with her, not just for the chores that for me are drudgery, but getting to spend some quality time even though I doubt she knows who I am. I know her.
My sister, Janie, who lives closer to them, and a brother that lives down the street from them, have been taking care and keeping an eye on them both up to now. With this visit it has become apparent that she will not be going home even if my father gets better. Janie is working and since I work at home, taking care of Mom was something I could do while Sis rides herd on the hospital staff on our fathers behalf. My involvement with my parents over the last years has been minimal since I live quite a distance away. So this time with her has helped me get a better grip on what is important in this life and what is just fluff.
Getting to what llamas have to do with all this. Since she has been here the dog has been a kitty, (no name) and the male cat is a she. Names of things and people are long gone never to be retrieved. She used to love crossword puzzles but words have little meaning now. What is really strange is that she can still spell the words. One day she was speaking gibberish and I understood every word, or at least the intent. Now that's scary.
Somehow in the midst of this she is able to remember what the llamas are. She watches them from the porch or the kitchen window as they move around the hill in, what she calls, their regal manner. This morning she was standing at the window watching them, she turned to me with tears in her eyes and said. "Just watching the llamas makes me feel so good inside." This from a woman who never understood my passion for horses and large animals in general. As a matter of fact she was petrified of horses. Yet she expressed a desire to touch our first cria of the year, born just before her arrival. I brought the baby in the house for a few minutes for Mom to see. Her delight was wonderful to watch. Petting and admiring how calm Bell was to be in a strange place.
This was the time I came to really believed in the magic of llamas, and yes I believe they have the power to heal. No, they are not going to heal my mother, but the enjoyment she derives and the feeling she has being around them is a good as it gets.