Wednesday, April 15, 2009

my Dad is going to Washington!

Click to play this Smilebox scrapbook: My Dad Rocks

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this is a smilebox card i am sending to my Dad, who is going to go on a bus with fellow veterans to Washington DC, this Saturday! he is so excited! we are truly grateful the Lord has been gracious to allow this opportunity to happen, because of his fragile health condition! please pray for him! we are so proud of him for serving our country!.....most of these men are "up" in years...thus they will be accompanied by nurses, doctors and wheelchairs! i can't wait to see the pictures!


How to Dance in the Rain

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80s arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am.
I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I inquired as to her health.He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's Disease. As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late.He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now. I was surprised, and asked him, 'And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?'He smiled as he patted my hand and said, 'She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is.' I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought,'That is the kind of love I want in my life.'True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.
The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

That was BEAUTIFUL! While many say they don't like euthenasia, many don't really treat the elderly with respect either -- just like they no longer matter or don't have feelings. We need to remember that one day we'll be that old. The Golden Rule is still a good idea, regardless.