Sunday, November 11, 2007

Blessings and Chocolate Shakes


Every other Sunday I go to visit my Dad, who resides in a nursing home. Dad has Alzheimer's. Sometimes he remembers me, sometimes he doesn't. But, that's OK - he is well cared for, the home is outstanding and he is happy and cheerful. He is always glad to see me, and on a good day remembers who I am after a few minutes.


Dad's roommate is Don. I don't know much about Don. He has Parkinson's and has great difficulty talking. I know from the pictures on his wall that he has kids, but I have never seen him with a visitor.

Don, as well as all the other residents, love it when I bring my dog, Gracie, to see Dad. He also enjoys children and was thrilled when my nephew brought Dad's great-granddaughter, Shannon, to visit as a baby a year ago. I took Shannon, just a few weeks old, to Don and he gently touched her and smiled and laughed. He could not take his eye's off of her.

My sister, Sue, discovered last summer that Don loves chocolate and sweets in general. She had stopped at LeDucs (in Wales, WI) frozen custard stand and brought both Dad and Don a shake. Don was thrilled.

I go see Dad on Sundays in the morning, right before he goes to lunch. I plan it so that we have 45-60 minutes together before his lunch. When I go to see Dad I try to make the time to stop first at LeDucs. Sometimes I am pushing to get there before lunch and don't make the time to stop. Sometimes I forget. But today I remembered, gave myself enough time, and got a chocolate shake for Don and a strawberry shake for Dad.

Dad was sitting in his wheelchair in the hall when I arrived. Obviously, he didn't know who I was, but he smiled and agreed to sit in the sun room with me. I left him for a minute, walked down the hall and found Don nodding off in their room.

I lightly touched Don's shoulder and he looked up. I told him who I was and that I had a surprise for him. He smiled a little. I held up the white LeDuc's bag.

For a split second, for a tiny moment in time, I didn't see Don as an elderly man, in a wheel chair, ravished by Parkinson's, but as a 7 year old Don on Christmas morning or maybe seeing the best birthday present a 7 year old could imagine. His whole face changed, he smiled and beamed.

I pulled out the shake and he reached out for it before I had time to put the straw in it. I added the straw and I teased him by saying, "Don, the nurse might not like you having a shake before lunch - you'll ruin your lunch. He frowned a little and I continued, "But, I won't tell if you don't tell!" He beamed and I left him to enjoy it. He whispered a faint, "Thank you!"

I wheeled Dad to the sun room and give him his shake. After a couple of sips he said it was wonderful, but made him cold, so I went back to the room for a sweater. Don was totally enjoying his shake, his eyes shining.

Dad and I had a nice visit and I think that if he could, he would have happily licked the plastic cup the shake came in! He remembered who I was - at least for a few minutes. I wheeled him into the dining room for lunch and kissed him good bye. As I looked over, there was Don at another table struggling to eat jello. I went over to him and gave him a little hug and asked which flavor I should bring next time. He whispered, "strawberry."

Blessings come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes in our busy lives, it is hard to see them. But, they are always there, probably more then we realize. Today for a blink in time I saw a 80+ year frial old man turn back into a 7 year old boy. All it took was a chocolate shake. Now that was a true blessing.

1 comment:

Earthbound Spirit said...

And you are a blessing to your Dad and Don, too. Simple pleasures really are the best, aren't they? Good for you for bringing a little FUN into their lives.