Today at my clinicals in the nursing home
a very small, tiny miracle occured.
For the first time in 6 weeks of clinicals, there were lots of smiling, happy people!
i'm learning an awful lot from these old people~
number one: simple things can bring so much joy.
It had been a long morning(typical!) with my patients and, being that I really didn't want to give another bed bath, I decided to take them down to the cafeteria where this guy had come in and was putting on a music show. Kathryn, one of my favorite patients began singing
“Let Me Call You Sweetheart”
along with this man at the top of her lungs haha!
And then they all started to join in.
These people, who can hardly remember their own name, could hardly speak anymore, could hardly function, were all SINGING! The familiar tunes came back to them and it was so touching to see how excited they got when they would recognize a song and have the words come back to them.
It was so nice because for a moment we ALL forgot the stinky, dirty nursing home.
Old memories were remembered, past times have not faded. Even Les, who is paralyzed on his left side due to a stoke, bent the right side of his mouth into a smile, something that I had never seen him do. I am so blessed to know them. I want to soak in all the lessons they have to teach me. Some of them are quite funny lessons(like not getting married five times! haha!)
And in return for their kindness i can
rub legs and arms with baby oil,
hold their hands,
give them a shower and wash their bodies trying to keep their dignity intact,
and most of all, LISTEN...they have stories to tell.
It made me wonder....
What will they play for me when I'm 90 years old that will always bring a smile to my face? hmmm...
