“I don’t want that man to come anymore,” Mom complained. I have watched “that man” Richard as he moved Mom through her post-Covid physical therapy. He instructed her to, while sitting: lift one knee, then the other; curl both arms without weight; raise both arms overhead, then to the side; keep your toes on the ground and lift your heel; move your knees apart and then together. The strain is, to be generous, nominal. Richard loves to gab, and Mom loves to gab: about people they both know, about the old days (he’s approaching 75 himself), and about work and family. When I asked Mom what was wrong with “that man,” she shot back, “I don’t need him. I have these papers with pictures of my exercises. I can do them myself. I don’t need him.” Can you guess my next question? Of course, you can. “And, Mom, did you do your exercises today?” No. “Yesterday?” No. “Ever?” No. “Then Richard’s still going to come, and he’s going to make you do your exercises, and that’s that.” She pouted. When Richard came the next day, Mom threw up her hands and shouted with a smile, “Here he is!” “There she is!” he replied in kind. Mom did her exercises. I’m going to have that man come as long as insurance will pay him to come. Then it will be my turn to wave the pictures in front of her face and say, “Let’s go, Mom. Get busy with your exercises.”

(Photo from Rx Rehab used under the Fair Use Doctrine)