LOST & ALONE

I was on my way to the mall to get my nails done. I had a doctor’s appointment and I always tried to look my best. Even after all these years I am still not sure what my best is but I keep trying. I was running late so I was trying to hurry. I walked into the mall and the first thing I see is a little elderly lady just crying! I asked if I could help and she replied,” Please help me find my daughter. I lost her”! I asked “Where was your daughter going”? She replied “She was going to get her watch fixed in the store”. I said “Do you know which store she was going to”? She said"No, she told me to stay here but she didn’t come back”! By now the lady was really upset and I was trying to get her to stop crying. I saw a security guard walking by and yelled to him. He came over and I explained what was going on. He asked the lady what her daughter was wearing and said he would go look for her. While he was looking the lady asked if I could take her home. She said “I have enough money to pay you and opened her purse”! I said “No, I don’t want your money and you should not show people your money”. She replied “I keep my money in my pocketbook and my jewelry to”! By now the security guard is back and he was not able to find the daughter. I told him about her money and jewelry. He asked her if she would recognize her daughters car if we took her for a ride in the parking lot. She thought she would so off we went. He took her all over the parking lot but she did not recognize any of the cars. Than the lady remembered her daughter had gone to the doctor’s office and she was supposed to wait for her in the mall. She told the security guard she was eighty four years old. When she mentioned the doctor’s name I recognized it immediately. I told the security guard and he said for me to go ahead and call. I called the doctor’s office and explained what was going on. The receptionist said the lady was there and put her on the phone. I told her who I was and I was at the Security Office in the mall with her Mother who was very upset and lost. I won’t go into what all the lady told me but the result was I was supposed to take her Mother back where I found her and she would pick her up in an hour. I had no business interfering in family problems! Of course I immediately took her back and dropped her off, right?? Now you know dear reader, I would never do that. I just called Adult Protective Services and reported the whole thing. They sent a person over to take the lady home and find out what was going on. It seems this woman would take her Mother to the mall and leave her while she was out and about. Sometimes this was for several hours. They figure this lady I found had a small stroke and just could not remember what she was supposed to do.
The thing I worry about is what could have happened if the wrong person showed up. There are so many places to turn for help with the elderly. She could have hired help for a couple of hours or taken her to a day care for seniors.She could have called The Office for the Aging and asked for help. It amazes me how selfish people are with their older relatives.
Of course I never did get my nails done but, would you believe the doctor never noticed?
On an entirely different subject I wonder, gentle reader, how many people really bother reading my blogs? I need to ask a favor of all of you, please. If you read these blogs would you leave me a comment, good, bad or otherwise. If I know someone reads this than I feel more like doing the blogs.
Thanks to all and will write more tomorrow……
Love Red