I Call Her Happy

She is 30 years old.
She has a neurological disorder and is unsighted. 
She lies in a bed most of the day.  She may get up for an hour to take her meals. 
She has hazel eyes.  Her light brown hair is curly and fine and is nearly rubbed off in the back where she moves her head across the pillow.  

Her family has abandoned her. 

She can read braille but with her disorder can no longer hold the books to follow the lines.  She listens to books on tape and listens to television and radio. 

She is a tease and if she has a chance will tickle you. 

She ask me today if she could look at me.  I agreed and she ran her fingers over my face like you may have seen on television.  Then over my head and to the back of my neck.  She was smiling the entire her time.  She commented about my curly hair and ask what color my eyes are.  I told her that they were hazel with a lot of green like hers.  She laughed and said "That is good."  

She ask me if I was happy.  I laughed and told her what I often tell people, "Well I am not hanging out of a sun roof riding down the center of town yelling at the top of my lungs, "God bless America", but yah I am happy." 

She giggled and then she said, "Me too.  But I am happy because I know God loves me.  God told me that my dad is sorry for doing all those bad thngs to me.  God told me my mom is just messed up and I needed to forgive her.  God said to love them and my brother and my sister even if they don't come see me.  God told me that if I am not happy here I won't be happy in heaven.  God told me he would send nice people to take care of me if I promised to be happy.  So I did and then I came here and they are all really nice.  The maintance man even gives me a hug everyday at breakfast.  And the girl from hospice who gives me my bath is really nice.  Now you are here and gave me a massage with nice girly smelling lotion.  I like being happy."  I laughed and told her she had chosen wisely. 

She wanted to know if I had children.  I told her I have lots of children in my life but never gave birth to any of them.  I told her all the children are mine to love.  She smiled and said, "Can I be one of your children?" 

I reached under her shoulder and pulled her very close and said, "You already are."  She hugged me and laughed as she tickled my side and I tickled her back.  She said, "Being happy is a good thing." 

Thanksgiving may never be the same.


this post was on nomi's face book, and i thought it was very touching. i moved it over here

Dan

When I first met Dan he was a handsome six foot tall, two hundred and fifteen pound arrogant egoistical pompus dope smoking 59 year old jerk.  He had been a teacher and a coach and had taught in some of the native american schools and had the attitude that he was the only white man who had ever done anything that propeled kids away from drugs and alcohol and into higher education.

He was diagnosised with esphogeal cancer that was located at the bottom of the esophogus at the sphincter  going into the stomach.  Within six weeks he dropped fifty pounds.  Although food tasted good to him, it was not being digested.  His weight continued to plumage to one hundred forty-three.  Soon he was equipped with a clostomy bag.  He was skin over bone. He still very much enjoyed massages. With the drastic changes in his physical appearance came an attitude change as well.  He became kinder, softer, and appreciative of those around him.  One late afternoon he even offered for me to sit in the massage chair and he would rub my shoulders.  I tried deperately to say no but his wife gave me the look. It was a begging sort of look.  I agreed.  He had hands of gold.  He gently used the finger tips and moved clockwise on the top of the trapezius, then across to the shoulders and back to the neck.  When he finished I ask him what I owed him and he smiled.  His wife later told me that he talked about that for hours.  He laughed and said how different life would be if he could be well. 
He went on and on about much he learned from the hospice caregivers about loving people and doing good just because you can. 

Today Dan weighed in at one hundred and twenty-six pounds.   His back is nothing but bony promineces at best.  He smiled and joked and ask me if I needed an assistant because he thinks he is up for the job.  Today I noticed his eyes. So vivid blue. So clear.  When I commented on his eyes, his response was, " I guess when I cleared up my soul the windows clearedup too." 

I am not God and I do not know how much longer Dan has on this earth with us.  What I do know is that if by a miracle he were made well, I would want to be his friend.

Mrs.G.

Mrs. G. has a very rare debilitating disease called Cortical Basl Degeneration (CBD). It slowly takes away the ability to do anything for one's self.  She currently uses an ABC board to communicate with people.  She has lost complete use of her right arm and hand and now spells with the left.  There is little joy in her life other than her family and her sense of humor.  Her daughter K--- has a son and her son G--- has three daughters and they are her joy.  She has a wonderful extended family who cater to every desire.

One sunny afternoon as I am doing therapy with her the UPS truck pulls up to the neighbors house.  She giggles.  She begins to spell, I t h i n k t h e n e i g h b o r i s h a v i n g a n a f f a i r w i t h the u p s g u y h e c o m e s e v e r y d a y.  I look out and see a very attractive midaged woman taking a package from the UPS guy and laughing. I ask, "Do you  know the neighbor?"  She spells, y e s s h e i s k - - - ' s m o t h e r - i n - l a w.  And Mrs. G. laughs until tears come out her eyes and roll down her cheeks. Now whne ever the UPS truck pulls up and I am there, I laugh and say. "Again" that is all it takes and she giggles and the tears roll.