updated 10/04/2000

This poem was written for a VERY special woman.
She had been a pillar of our society.
It was my honor indeed to spend the last year of her life caring
for her as she was totally unable to do anything for herself anymore.
For a few months there was a sad look of pain in her eyes as the knowledge of her fading abilities sank in and took hold of her soul.
it was replaced by a look of pain from hurting when she was moved and finally by hardly any look at all.
She suffered from MS, Alzheimers and a stroke.
In the end this once 140 pound woman lay abed weighing 86 pounds,
unable to move and one afternoon she just stopped being.
My heart goes with you Mrs L.

REGAL LADY
12/93
She lies so regal there,
In her special Gerry chair,
Eyes are closed, face is bare,
Her thought if any I know not where,
Fragile lady locked inside
A body small where feelings hide,
Words escape her, time defied,
Rob her of external pride.
But look hard, yes look deep,
Even when her mind does sleep,Y
ou can see some past things creep,
It really makes me want to weep!
For I can see this regal dame,
When she was neither old nor lame,
Quite the lady at the game,
Standing tall on regal frame.
Her silver hair her regal crown,
Her face serene, never a frown,
A rock of strength, well known in town,
A queen of sorts in jeweled gown.
I wish I’d known the younger one,
Full of life and love and fun,
Her glory fading, nearly done.
So as she lies there, this her fate,
Knowing that the day is late,
She sill rules there’s no debate
This regal lady small but great!

MISTER A
He was another of my favorite clients. He was 85 years old and had the spirit and the heart of a kid.
Simon, as I shall call him, had a roving eye and loved to flirt with all of the ladies that cared for him.
He would try to bribe us with candy ( by the way he was a British gent with a VERY Brit accent).
There were some fun times with Simon because he had lost a majority of his memory of the near past and each day, when I would ask him what he wanted to do he would reply "Lets go to the park luv, Has been a spell you know!"
And every afternoon we would pack some goodies and be off we wnt to the same park.
On the down side though Simon would forget to eat and would fight when I tried to get him to, thinking he had, or eat and then accuse me of trying to stave him to death, wanting his lunch again!
He also loved to walk and daily we HAD to take a two mile hike and he had LONG legs compared to my tiny ones. I really stayed in shape during that time for sure.
One day I arrived and he was missing. He showed up in a bit with some candy. He had walked the mile to the store, and thank heavens had been able to find his way home while I was having a panic attack on the phone to the offices.
Then he got to where he did not recognize me and refused to let me in and finally he had to go to a nursing home.
Being locked up, unable to go for his daily walks, and to the park killed his spirit and inside of two months he passed away but his memory lives strong in me, his HHA for 10 months. Rest in peace on the cloud walks Mr. A.

MRS C.
This woman was one of the most unusual people
I have ever met in my life. At age 72, she wore her hair dyed a dark, dark, black,
bangs and often pig tails. Leather made up a big part of her waardrobe,
and she loved chains, esp. the leather pants with chain sides.
Because she was so excentric no one else could tolerate
an entire day running her around.
Me? well, she was a challenge I have to admitt,
but she was often fun to be with too.
I would pick her up and take her to her various appointments,
waiting for her as she had her hair done or saw a doctor.
Sometimes she would send me somewhere else to do something while she waited.
The one day that stands out the most with her is as follows.
I picked her up at 8:00 AM sharp (no one dared keep her waiting!)
She wanted to go to the mini mall on the East side of town
for a few minutes and would not hear me telling her that they
did not open until 10:00. But, she insisted so we went and she was quite upset that they were closed.
Next it was to her hairdressers on the West side of town.
Once there, she told me that she would be three hours and to
run to the store for a few thiings, pick up our lunch
and come back at noon.
She told me the items and the store, which was back on the East side.
I told her I would pop into the store across from the hairdressers and she almost fainted because she NEVER went there!
She had to have her special things!
Well, she wanted Dole banana's, campbell soup, Kleenex and saltines, all
available at the closer store, but since my client was the boss (and thank goodness paying my mileage).
I went back to the East side for her stuff, stopping off at
my house since it was enroute back to the
West side and I had two hours to kill.
Then it was to the North side to the cafe to get lunch
and back to the hairdressers to get her.
I waited another 20 minutes knowing she would pout because lunch was not fresh enough.
I sighed in relief when she requested going next to the
mini mall once again to get some things.
Back to the East side we wnet again
I almost cracked up when she paid for her purchase and
they gave her the senior citizen disocunt, turned to me and
said "Oh Dixie, she is so nice, she gave me YOUR discount
because she knows I am not really old enough!"
I was in my early 40's.
From there it was to the town on the other side of ours,
another 40 minute drive, to get her prescriptions....
finally at three PM I delivered her, her belongings and her lunch, now very cold to her home.
She did not feel like eating as she was too tired so I placed it in the refridgerator for her to heat for dinner, glad I
was not going to be there as fried fish does not reheat well in a microwave.
Back to the Nursing services office I went, mentally drained
and glad the day was over, 150 miles on my sheet and ready for a relaxing evening and no one scheduled for tomorrow.
as I walked in my super said to me "DIXIE! Just the HHA I need. Mrs A. just called, She needs you again tomorrow.
Oh My so much for tomorrow .....
Mrs A. passed away a year after I left the state. May your
heavenly HHA have a good car and lots of patience, a sense of
humor and more.

This poem was written by a dear
 friend of mine and says so much.
Thank you JUDY.

WHEN ELDERLY SPEAK

Do you ever stop to listen and to really hear,
The elderly people that you hold dear.
They have stories to tell and need to be heard,
And if you Listen there is wisdom in their words.
I have met so many eldery people who look lost and in need,
And I try to stop and talk to them for their wisdom is the seed,
Its the seed that needs planted into each and everyone,
For its their experience with Life that is brighter than the sun.
If you take the time to listen to the elderly as they speak,
You will find their stories so touching and unique.
My heart is with the elderly for they have so much to share,
So I take every opportunity to show them that I care.
Not out of sympathy but more so out of greed,
Because they have the wisdom to share on just how to succeed.
I hope some day when I am old that I too can share,
The memories of a lifetime which nothing can compare.
So when the elderly speak try to listen to their words,
Because they have so much to share with you and
really should be heard.
Judy©1998 

Because of the changes made to webring, I have chosen to delete my rings rather than to change all of them either to fit their new codes, or the codes of a new server. I like, the majority of you have enjoyed each and every ring we belonged to, and shall miss them. "BACK TO NURSES AIDE PAGE")

"BACK TO MY INDEX PAGE")

This page hosted by

Get your ownFree Home Page