at the home

"She's gonna say something like, 'Wow, you've been busy in the kitchen!' when we take her lunch in".

It was my first day working as a nutrition aide at the nursing home. I was shadowing Matt, a college student and fellow nutrition aide. Barb, one of the residents, was in her room seated in her wheelchair, focused on her TV.

"Hey, Barb. Lunchtime!", Matt announced.

"Oh boy! Somebody's been busy in the kitchen!", Barb replied as if on cue. I smiled to myself, thinking of what Matt had just told me.

Matt introduced me while he got Barb situated for her lunch. She was a typical looking frail old woman in a nursing home. But my eyes were instantly drawn to the wall behind her where several family photos had been hung. 

In one, I saw a strikingly beautiful woman, clearly Barb in her younger years. It was a black-and-white family portrait of Barb, her husband, and their four kids. Barb's eyes and posture conveyed a keen intellect and sure confidence. It was one of my first meetings of the residents I would get to know over the next several months, and seeing that photo of Barb reminded me that each of them had lived rich, full, and vibrant lives before arriving at the nursing home.

Like Barb, most every resident had photos on display of their earlier lives. I appreciated that I could see them as more than old and frail and dependent.

Another woman, Norma, had a skillfully done original oil painting of Mount of the Holy Cross hanging in her room, and I asked where she'd gotten it.

"I had a friend who was an artist. She wanted a birthday cake for her mother's 90th birthday, but all the bakeries wanted a ridiculous price for what she wanted. So I told her I'd make the cake, which I did. She so appreciated it, she gave me the painting", Norma explained.

"A few years ago, the friend asked if I would will the painting for her daughter to receive after I die. My daughter said, 'Don't you dare!' since it was rightfully my painting to bequeath.  MY daughter will get it!", she said with a giggle.

I've been gone from the nursing home for a little over a year now. I keep in touch with some of my former coworkers, and they often catch me up on who has since passed away.

I learned that Norma died last winter, and I remember fondly the conversations we had and how she had such a positive light and sharp intellect despite her physical limitations. I remember how she'd write little "reviews" on her meal tickets because she knew the dieticians collected them for tracking. 

The eggs were just right, and Lena was so pleasant as always...

I'm thinking of that oil painting and how it stays in Norma's family.

Back to Barb, I recall  one day, she said to me, "I'm going to be 69 years old in November!"

I replied, "Really? We'll definitely celebrate!", but in my mind, I knew "You're going to be 99 years old in November"

As the oldest resident, Barb did in fact make it to 99 years old last November. Everyone wondered - will she make it to 100?

Two weeks ago, she fell short of 100 years by 5 months.

For Norma and Barb and all the rest, I'm thankful for the little specks of time we had. I honestly didn't expect much when I took the job, but it was fulfilling in many ways.  And eventually, it'll be my turn to go to the other side.

Until then, I guess I'll just keep busy in the "kitchen".

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Linking up this week with Mama Kat for the prompt:
3. Write a blog post inspired by the word: bond