Sister Beast

I've developed a friendship with the funnest little grandma lady.  She attends the same temple session as I do each week.  Her name is Doris but I've affectionally come to call her Sister Beast.  Let me explain.

Doris has a great personality.  She is probably close to 80 years old but she is spunky and a crack up.  A few weeks ago she told a story of when she was about 17 years old.  In her childhood when you lost a tooth you placed it in a cup of water and left it in the kitchen window.  The tooth fairy would come visit during the night, take the tooth and replace it with a penny.

One evening her mom, who wore dentures, took her teeth out and left them in a cup of water on the window sill.  During the night Doris snuck into the kitchen, took the dentures and left a penny in the cup!  The next morning when her mom went to retrieve her teeth they were gone!  Her mom immediately called out, "Doris!  Bring me my teeth!"  She knew who took them!  Doris insisted that the tooth fairy had paid a visit.  After some coaxing Doris finally handed the dentures over.

Doris has a 48-year-old mentally retarded son named Mike.  He doesn't have teeth, he does not speak in complete sentences and blames everything on his dad.  Mike has to wear a diaper to bed and each morning when his mom bathes him she asks him why he wet his bed.  His response is always, "it was dad!"  And if she asks him how he slept he gives one of two responses, "like a porpoise" or "like a big rock."

Mike attends a daily respite program.  When he returns home Doris will ask him how his day was.  He responds that it was good.  She then asks him what he did that day.  Because Mike does not speak in complete sentences he says "eat my friends."  Meaning he ate lunch with his friends, of course.  Because Doris can't pass up on an opportunity to tease, she asks how they tasted!

Now that you know that Doris is a big tease, let me explain her nickname.  A few years ago Doris was 28 pounds heavier.  She was struggling with high blood pressure and the doctor explained that she was on the low end of being obese.  After her visit with the doctor she went home and called her daughter to report the news.  Mike was listening in and not being familiar with the word "obese" heard this instead, "the doctor said I'm an old beast."  Haha!  Sweet Mike kindly said to his mom, "didn't know you an old beast!"

I jokingly asked her if she was Sister Beast.  Being Doris, she loved it!  When we entered the session and kindly pointed out Brother Beast I had to chuckle.  And my heart smiled when later in the session she lovingly looked over at him and waved with her pinky.  She is the cutest!

I've learned to love her for so many reasons.  Not only is she always there, very fun and a kind person, but think of what it takes to care for her son.  She routinely cares for him, even at her ago.  And she attends THREE endowment sessions every week!  I hope that I can have the same fun and positive outlook on life as Doris.