They are so good here, says Mac as we walk out the door of our building...and they really are...he so loves to walk through our lobby, wave to all the people that he seems to know are somewhat like him. As well, the woman at the front desk, where we sign in and out...always asks..'how are you today..Captain or Mr mac...or Blue Eyes...depending on her mood... And Mac always has either two thumbs up - or says, how am I...who knows.. i don't know...or I'm 100 %, and then her comeback, that's great..I love your blue eyes, or You are the greatest, o r you are # 1...or you make my day....
How can he not feel good in this place, as she as well as the others take great pleasure in waving - talking or just giving us beautiful smiles...I always have a heart filled with gratitude for their caring ways, especially as so many cannot go out ...or even if they do not have the big A are handicappied in some way that makes walking any distance difficult...i could give so many examples of their caring - sometimes teasing - sometimes so helpful, and always there for us...even to the extent of one of he residents phoning me to see if i'd like her packages of jam she didn't eat at breakfast, or her cookies for Mac...bringing us extra sugar pkgs for mac's coffee (he needs 4 or 5 pkgs in his coffee)...i find this so sweet as we only eat in the dining room about once a week. The jokes our table mate age 95 said tonight as i was bringing a chair for mac...hey she said, here Mac, sit on my thumb...- he is so comfortable with them...asking how they are, laughing as they laugh and loving the serving girl as she tells him McConnell, that's a great name, Irish and Scottish...i bet...she is Darlene and a darling ....so can you imagine this
our neighbour along the hall, said to me ' if someone asked you how you liked living here - what would your answer be'...Well of course no problem, i answered, i'd say i like it very much...Mac - what do you think, he said..'I like living here, theyre good here'...her answer she said..was..maybe some people like it, I do not...the apartment ..(her's is like mine) ...is too hot, or too cold...my food is never brought to me the right temperature or right time...people are not all there mentally....i do not mingle with them, although some are nice...Actually i almost feel we're in two different buildings.. BUT, she HAD to be moved here, she is physically suffering in many ways, has had cancer of the skin, a broken neck, bad digestion, can only eat meat....suffers from depession ...walks with a wheel chair so she can sit down....no one phones her, she has - she says, very few friends...So it's all in the beholder - no matter where one lives...health, attitude to life, and of course friends make all the difference.
So when we say goodnight to our friend down in the transition area..we are always so pleased for her, she can't move must have someone lift her in and out of bed in a contraption that makes her wheelchair a bit of a pain, she cannot put her feet on foot rests ...she cannot handle a book or a pencil or magazine...can hold the phone between her neck and shoulder and hand, she can press button on t.v. remote...and pick up with difficulty cookies etc...she cannot go to the bathroom ...waits always for someone to change her...BUT in her case a son visits almost every day...her brothers have visited her..(she is 85) they are older..and younger...her daughters live far away, but phone her every second day...Why the difference...She is caring always for others...a happy smile....gratitude for whatever people can do for her...and she quietly fumes for sure, but it's quietly...and then she tries to change things she can change, like how long she has to wait to be changed, or have food remains on a tray taken away..etc.
Well i'm sure we all know that old saying....laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you cry alone..but it's true...so as the saying these days goes...Suck it in...yuck - don't like that saying..but it works, and we are both trying to live the saying so that we get our share of laughs...when we sometimes have to laugh so we won't cry.....g'nite...
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