Saturday, December 8, 2007

Power Granny


And on a lighter note...
Last week two of my daughters and I went to the nursing home to see Lynn. We visited for awhile, sang her a few Christmas carols (badly- she laughed at us) and when it was time to go we were saying our goodbyes to her in a little niche in the hallway when suddenly, right in front of us, a therapy session sprang up. Two therapists were trying to help a very, very old lady walk, which wasn't going very well. She seemed to have no more idea of how to walk than a newborn baby but they were doing their best to encourage her.
"That's it! One more step! Make it a big one!" etc. One was holding the poor old lady up with sheer will and strength and the other was standing right behind with a wheelchair, just in case the lady needed to sit down, I suppose.
It was a lesson in patience, standing and watching. At one point the old lady stepped one white-socked foot right on top of the other and the wheelchair therapist had to lean over and remove the offending foot off the innocent one. As I said, it wasn't going well.
All traffic down the hallway ceased as this exercise progressed.
Everyone was patient. I mean, come on- it's a nursing home- who has anywhere they have to be in a hurry?
Well, one old lady, it would seem. She was on a walker and she stood there for a moment and then, realizing that the space was big enough for her but not the walker, simply hefted the walker above her head, passed on the right and booked it on down the hall. I think maybe she was going to Bingo.
It was one of those perfect moments that you just WISHED you had on video. Everyone in the hallway looked at each other as if to say, "Did you SEE that?" And we all smiled.
It was perfect. A perfect moment in a crazy and often sad place.
I love that old woman. She brought joy to my heart and I hope she cleaned their clocks at Bingo.
I bet she did.

2 comments:

Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.