I can't believe it, but I am down to my last week of work at my old folks home. After next Friday (28th)- two exciting things happen. One, I celebrate a year of being in New Zealand. Unbelievable and amazing!! Two, I start the transition back into staffing with YWAM. Staff training for the next backpacker's school starts mid-Sept and I will spend the few weeks before helping with hospitality and housekeeping on the YWAM base. I am very excited to transition. But as it is the end of my time working with my favorite old people, I thought I'd share a few more stories.
If you've ever heard the "walking her home' song by Mark Schultz- you will understand the soft spot I have in my heart for this couple. There is a married couple who live at our home. The husband recently had a stroke and it made him blind. He needs extra care and help. So, they live in separate rooms. The wife has an apartment, with a lot of their personal things in it, and he has a room in the hospital down a few corridors. He spends the whole day with his wife in her little apartment. And after dinner every night, she guides him back to his room so we can help him into bed. She waits with him in his room until one of us comes, she doesn't want to leave him alone. They are so sweet!! He also happens to be quite the character. He's always cracking jokes, even about being blind. He sleeps with a little stuffed dog which he adores. And I have discovered that it doesn't matter what country you're from or what age you are- all men like to get their back scratched. Every night when I'm putting him to bed, he asks if I'll give his back a quick scratch cause it's itchy. Give his back a scratch, hand him his doggy and he's a happy man off to sleep.
When I started working here at the old folks home, I realized fairly soon that I was going to have to deal with death. I am essentially taking care of people who are dying. I've had a few residents pass away as I've worked there but this last week was really hard. For the first time, I was working on shift when one of our ladies passed away. One minute she was there, the next she wasn't. All of the caregivers and the nurse came in to say our goodbyes. I don't really remember ever seeing a dead person before. Maybe at an open casket funeral, but never someone who has just passed. It was sad. I didn't cry- but I felt helpless. Some of the other workers said her family wasn't around and this woman wasn't known for being a good mom. But all I knew of her was that she was a delicate and frail woman who needed taking care of. If you looked at her and smiled, she would smile back and she had probably one of the BRIGHTEST smiles I've ever seen. I loved her. Even if I kept working here, I don't think this would get any easier. I wouldn't want it to.
Some of my favorite residents tend to be the ones who are grumpy old men. I know it sounds weird, but I find it somewhat of an exciting challenge to get them to smile or talk about something that makes them happy. Perhaps it's the optimist in me that can't quite help spreading it around. There is one man in particular who is disgruntled about everything. He is very particular and easily offended. So, every time I work with him I smile heaps, remain VERY PATIENT and ask him about his day - trying to get him talking about something positive. The last time I worked with him I got him talking about some of his favorite places to go hiking and discussing what he used to do-- which is teach English literature. He's a very educated man. I couldn't quite get a smile from him, but he didn't complain about anything while I was in there. Another man is kind of a recluse and very grumpy. He's even sometimes aggressive. So when helping him into bed one night I decided to tell him some of my favorite jokes. Which, if you know me at all- you know I love corny jokes and puns. I was telling knock-knock jokes and great puns. Well, this man was loving it. He even laughed at the good ones. I got him smiling for the evening. I loved it and I think he did too!
I'm going to miss my old friends at the home. Luckily, the old folks home is just down the road from the YWAM school. I plan on popping whenever I can to see the residents and talk with them. I stand amazed at how God planned this all out. He knew that I could be used in this ministry. He knew that I would learn so much about myself through nurturing these beautiful souls. He knew and He wanted me to be a part of it. I am so blessed.
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