I spend time every
week with an elderly woman who has dementia.
I've known Linneah for 17 years, but she thinks I'm the "lady down
the hall" when I come over. I love this
time with Linneah. We play Rummy Cube or
cook or do puzzles. We talk and
laugh. And I hear a lot of the same
stories over and over again. And that's
okay with me.
I hope I am giving
love and life to Linneah in her final
leg of the journey of life on earth. I
know she is giving love and life to me.
One of the ways she
does this is by her "sayings."
She's got family expressions and sometimes school nursery rhymes that
have stuck with her. In the middle of a
meal she might say something like.
"Oh! This is delicious…..and
nutritious. (Pause) Makes me feel ambitious." And then she'll laugh and say, "Oh,
me….I don't know who came up with that but I've been saying that for
years." And I'll laugh again...for
the 5th time that visit.
Or she'll say after
one of us wins Rummy Cube ----"Ohhhh!
You're the big Wiener!"
You're not a winner if you're the other person, you're a wiener.
I find myself
recalling the little sayings that my German Grandmother used to say when we
played cards together. "Well, this
is a bunch of kah-kah!" (I have no
clue how to spell that German word. But
it's my understanding from my grandmother who lived until she was 98 saying it...that it meant
sh**" and I quite enjoyed when she said it.) So, I've now passed it onto Linneah.
As I've been reading
up on Dementia to find better ways to relate to my newly developing old friend
it occurred to me that as we age, certain things stick with us, and often it's
those rhymes or sayings or songs or scriptures that do. So this past weekend I decided that I wanted
to make sure I had some key scriptures memorized so that if and when I am ever
being cared for by a young and beautiful girl (like myself) or am in a nursing home, or my children have the incredible
BLESSING of caring for me….that I will have blessings to give back to them that
are the very words of God.
What better thing to
give than God's word, and how much more of a powerful blessing to have his
truth and grace pour out of the lips of one who is fading mentally.
God allowed me to
memorize Psalm 23 this weekend. I am NOT
a memorizer - so, I mean it when I say God allowed it. And, what a gorgeous Psalm this is!!!
So, here it is in my
right mind (which is debatable), from
memory, and may it stick with me so I can bless any and all of my future
caregivers with it in my future:
Ps. 23 (New Living
Translation)
The Lord is my
shepherd. I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in
green meadows.
He leads me beside
peaceful streams.
He renews my
strength.
He guides me in
right paths bringing honor to his name.
Even when I walk
through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for he is close beside me.
Your rod and your
staff protect and comfort me.
You prepare a feast
for me in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely your goodness
and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in
the house of the Lord forever.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Wahoo! Thanks God!
More about Linneah
and the movie Ground Hog Day another time.
Until then, enjoy your life! It's
God's gift to you!
