The Places Life Takes Us

Yesterday I decided to visit a very good friend who is in a Care Facility.   It was a difficult day, but one I knew I was suppose to address a long time ago.  After a very short visit with him (he cannot respond), I made my way back towards the front door.
This is the area where several ladies were sitting in a cluster near the entrance.  As I approached, one grabbed my arm and said, “She’s trying to get up.”  I saw none of them attempting to do that but said, “I’ll be glad to help her.”   She smiled and said Thank you.
Moving forward another said to me, “Hi, I’m Alice…but talk to her first.” pointing to the lady behind her.  I asked her name, she responded with only a smile.  Alice then said, “I really like your hair.”  That is about the kindest thing anyone can say to me ~ since I have a love hate relationship with my hair.  She then said, “My name is Alice J and will you please come visit again.”   Of course I will.  I spent less the 3 minutes with her and I already love her!

With tears in my eyes and heart, I drove home and thought about the cycles of life.  The care center was full of beautiful people who need love and kindness to sustain life for even just one more day.  There philosophy on care ~ At Rocky Mountain Care, we strongly believe that each of our patients is special and unique and deserve the highest respect and service possible. I don’t know enough about the facility to give you my opinion, but it did appear to be a very clean facility with lots of staff moving throughout the patients rooms.  I pray my friend is getting all the kindness he deserves.   I miss you my friend…

After my visit this web site popped up in my browser and it was just what I needed to read!  Funny how things like that happen. 
George Saunders gave the graduation speech at Syracuse University in 2013, and the New York Times published it for all of us to glean from his wisdom.   Below is a small portion of the speech that happened to touch base with me.  You can read the entire speech by following the highlighted link. 
Kindness………….
Now, one useful thing you can do with an old person, in addition to borrowing money from them, or asking them to do one of their old-time “dances,” so you can watch, while laughing, is ask: “Looking back, what do you regret?” And they’ll tell you....
Here’s something I know to be true, although it’s a little corny, and I don’t quite know what to do with it: What I regret most in my life are failures of kindness.
Those moments when another human being was there, in front of me, suffering, and I responded…sensibly. Reservedly. Mildly.
Or, to look at it from the other end of the telescope: Who, in your life, do you remember most fondly, with the most undeniable feelings of warmth?
Those who were kindest to you, I bet.
It’s a little facile, maybe, and certainly hard to implement, but I’d say, as a goal in life, you could do worse than: Try to be kinder.