10 December, 2009

It's not the mountain that defeats you...

...but the pebble in your shoe.

Had a bit of a sad day at the nursing home yesterday. After helping out with lunch I sat for a while with a woman who's 94-- she started crying and saying how unhappy she is-- that she doesn't LIKE noodles, but they keep giving her noodles. And that she used to be strong and busy and she could HELP people, just like I do, and now she can't even regulate the thermostat on her radiator.

She was just so distressed, and I let her rant, because that was about the only thing I could do. Held her hand and stroked her hair, and I ended up crying myself, because I can imagine exactly how she feels-- when you're feeling crummy and all you want are potatoes and you keep getting served noodles instead...

6 comments:

Expats Again said...

God bless you...

Goofball said...

I get a choking feeling when reading this and I wish we didn't have to turn old.

Betsy said...

me too, Goofball. me too.

anno said...

That's a tough moment, for sure. So glad you could be there for her. She was fortunate you were there, and in some strange way, I think you were, too.

africakidandtheworld said...

Sometimes empathy (like you showed) is the best and only response.

R. Duckie said...

awwwww! Poor lady. The potatoes being the proverbial straw. I started crying also when I read this :(