Letters from Canada - 6
Some patients at Manor Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center set up a little office work area in their room as they undergo physical therapy and recovery from their injuries. No one until William moved their entire field of operations to the limited space of the Rehabilitation Center. People and office equipment seem to march in and out of William’s quarters. He treats some of the workers at the Center as part of his staff.
Tina, a nurse at the Center, was to relay to Linda, that she has a 4:15 appointment the following day with William. Linda kindly replied that it would nice if he joined her reading/prayer/singing group and afterwards they could talk. After a few days of no shows by Linda at the appointed time, William reluctantly attended what he described as a Linda sing along.
As William grimaced in his wheelchair, Linda did a final check on how everyone in her group was doing and then turned her attention towards him. A flood of questions rushed to his lips. How much compensation does she receive for her service, what is her academic background, and why is she always so cheerful? But his first words were to inform that her church chauffer was dismissed and he arranged for a limo to drive her home after they talked and enjoyed a catered supper together. Linda then called one of her neighbors to check in on her Mother and let her know she will be staying a little longer at the Center and will be home by about 7:30 pm.
The Center pays me in all the cupcakes I can eat; Linda starts her response to William’s inquisition. In my third year of pre-med college, I dropped out because of mine and my father’s failing health. I am always cheerful because I can frustrate people in high places. First that Lawyer Susan, then Father Mark, even Bishop Cornelius, and now you.
Not laughing, William concedes to her health problems, but not her attitude and what he considers a waste of time at the Center. He continued his admonishments with a “If you were making it as a pre-med student, you could accomplish a thousand other tasks more important than entertaining a bunch of handicap seniors.”
I am listening Linda replied with a concealed smirk. William continued; finishing college would be a good starter, afterwards teaching, maybe tutoring. The health service field has openings that may be suited to your abilities. You could even apply for a paying position right here at the Center.
That’s very tempting Linda said with a half smile, but let me share with you a story about the Center’s bunch of handicap seniors. A few years ago, I was admitted here for physical therapy. Becoming friends with residents at the Center was not easy. They looked upon me with suspicion and it took a while to earn their trust.
All these people were young once. Like you and me, their lives were filed with dreams realized and failures encountered. Throughout their lives, they made good decisions and choices and some bad decisions and choices. But now their life is filed with isolation and loneliness awaiting death. That is where I come in. My job is to remind them that they are also God’s children and not alone. They need to keep this in mind everyday even if they are in pain. All of us will have to face death and they along with me included may deal with it sooner than later.
It is important for them and all of us to face each day with the thought from a Ukrainian Hymn titled “God is with us”. God is our Best Friend and through many avenues God talks to us. Sometimes via our conscience, other times via our family and friends and even through random events in our lives, God lets us know if we are doing OK or its time to make changes and improvements.
Right now God wants me to bring a small measure of joy to sad and lonely people. Walk down memory lane with them and recall their days of love and happiness and remind them that even though they are frail at this stage of their life, the goodness and joy they experienced before is still part of them and can be expressed as kindness to those around them. They are no paying positions for this type of work.
I like your style, a more relaxed William shared with Linda. He continued by informing her that his therapy walking session have been going very well and he should be released very soon. But first the moment seemed right to burden Linda with a family issue, his daughter Mary.
He started with that Mary is a bad daughter, who does not obey or listen to her parents, does not attend church on Sunday or in general behave properly. Father Mark has not been helpful in this matter and Bishop Cornelius is trying to find a social clinical therapist that can help Mary. Pointing to Linda, William told her to meet and talk to Mary, because she has knack with dealing with hopeless people.
The evening ended with plans to meet in the future.
To be continued
Some patients at Manor Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center set up a little office work area in their room as they undergo physical therapy and recovery from their injuries. No one until William moved their entire field of operations to the limited space of the Rehabilitation Center. People and office equipment seem to march in and out of William’s quarters. He treats some of the workers at the Center as part of his staff.
Tina, a nurse at the Center, was to relay to Linda, that she has a 4:15 appointment the following day with William. Linda kindly replied that it would nice if he joined her reading/prayer/singing group and afterwards they could talk. After a few days of no shows by Linda at the appointed time, William reluctantly attended what he described as a Linda sing along.
As William grimaced in his wheelchair, Linda did a final check on how everyone in her group was doing and then turned her attention towards him. A flood of questions rushed to his lips. How much compensation does she receive for her service, what is her academic background, and why is she always so cheerful? But his first words were to inform that her church chauffer was dismissed and he arranged for a limo to drive her home after they talked and enjoyed a catered supper together. Linda then called one of her neighbors to check in on her Mother and let her know she will be staying a little longer at the Center and will be home by about 7:30 pm.
The Center pays me in all the cupcakes I can eat; Linda starts her response to William’s inquisition. In my third year of pre-med college, I dropped out because of mine and my father’s failing health. I am always cheerful because I can frustrate people in high places. First that Lawyer Susan, then Father Mark, even Bishop Cornelius, and now you.
Not laughing, William concedes to her health problems, but not her attitude and what he considers a waste of time at the Center. He continued his admonishments with a “If you were making it as a pre-med student, you could accomplish a thousand other tasks more important than entertaining a bunch of handicap seniors.”
I am listening Linda replied with a concealed smirk. William continued; finishing college would be a good starter, afterwards teaching, maybe tutoring. The health service field has openings that may be suited to your abilities. You could even apply for a paying position right here at the Center.
That’s very tempting Linda said with a half smile, but let me share with you a story about the Center’s bunch of handicap seniors. A few years ago, I was admitted here for physical therapy. Becoming friends with residents at the Center was not easy. They looked upon me with suspicion and it took a while to earn their trust.
All these people were young once. Like you and me, their lives were filed with dreams realized and failures encountered. Throughout their lives, they made good decisions and choices and some bad decisions and choices. But now their life is filed with isolation and loneliness awaiting death. That is where I come in. My job is to remind them that they are also God’s children and not alone. They need to keep this in mind everyday even if they are in pain. All of us will have to face death and they along with me included may deal with it sooner than later.
It is important for them and all of us to face each day with the thought from a Ukrainian Hymn titled “God is with us”. God is our Best Friend and through many avenues God talks to us. Sometimes via our conscience, other times via our family and friends and even through random events in our lives, God lets us know if we are doing OK or its time to make changes and improvements.
Right now God wants me to bring a small measure of joy to sad and lonely people. Walk down memory lane with them and recall their days of love and happiness and remind them that even though they are frail at this stage of their life, the goodness and joy they experienced before is still part of them and can be expressed as kindness to those around them. They are no paying positions for this type of work.
I like your style, a more relaxed William shared with Linda. He continued by informing her that his therapy walking session have been going very well and he should be released very soon. But first the moment seemed right to burden Linda with a family issue, his daughter Mary.
He started with that Mary is a bad daughter, who does not obey or listen to her parents, does not attend church on Sunday or in general behave properly. Father Mark has not been helpful in this matter and Bishop Cornelius is trying to find a social clinical therapist that can help Mary. Pointing to Linda, William told her to meet and talk to Mary, because she has knack with dealing with hopeless people.
The evening ended with plans to meet in the future.
To be continued
