To everything there is a season

Working in a long-term care facility, one has to expect that anything can happen.  Some things just happen in ways that make you know there is a God.

I work on the Activity staff.  I'm also a CNA.  My days include anything from manicures, reading, potty breaks and the occasional trips with a resident to a doctor's appointment.  I actually like those trips.  It's a wonderful opportunity to visit one-to-one and get to know the resident.

That's how I got to become a friend to Gert (not her real name).  I knew, somewhat, of her medical past.  The diabetes was obvious from her amputated leg, her poor vision and the needle pricks before mealtimes.  The "inside stuff" revealed itself when I went with her to the doctor.

Our fist trip was to check on her kidney function-it wasn't good.  Our second trip was to get a check-up on the stents in her arm.  They were put there in anticipation of future dialysis.  Our third, and final trip took my breath away.

That's when she told the doctor that she didn't want dialysis, she was ready to meet the Lord.  Huh?  Did she really say what I thought I heard?  She did.  At that point, I knew how the next several months of her life would be.  She asked me if I thought she was crazy.  She asked me to say 'good bye' to her son, if he would come.

So, I looked forward every day to see my friend.  I greeted her with that Eastern accent "hullo" if she didn't say it first.  She'd told me that she had been Catholic at one point.  But, that had been a while back.  I was elated when our priest came to see her and I helped her get to the annointing service that SHE wanted to go to.

I didn't get to see her son.  Her family had a private service.   But every day when I go past the room where she lived, I say a prayer of thanksgiving that I knew her.  And, Blessed Mother, watch over her, please.