La Casa Hogar--La Paz

Sometimes it is so sweet to help feed an elderly person—one who is totally incapable of feeding herself. I started feeding her usual bowl of steaming hot beans, a couple of tortillas, her coffee with milk and her smashed-to-a fine-powder pills. The girls who work in the dining room brought a bib and put it over her head. The lady sat and waited so I saw her and went to help feed her. She is bent over. I break her tortilla in pieces and drop the pieces into the bowl of beans. We proceed. Eventually two girls did come over and just stared at me feeding the lady. I let it be for a while but then I said…as if the lady herself was talking… “What are you staring at?” Then I said, “What’s up?” I told the lady to wink at them. She did! The girls started laughing so hard. The lady kept winking! She would make a huge effort to lift her head up a bit and wink again. It was so funny!
One day about 4 or 5 guys were sitting right by my bedroom door. There is a breeze way or corridor with some benches. All of these guys were sitting there saying nothing. I walked up to my door and one of them (the lot had fallen to him to ask me) said, “Say, lady, would you be willing to give us some money for a little refreshment?” There is a little candy store at the entrance of the nursing home. They can get pop, candy, cookies (“chitarra” or junk food). We were told not to give them any money otherwise they will not be hungry for their meals. Oh, gosh, darn!! They love their bottle of Coke!
One of the guys (a real con artist) tried to sell me a 2001 magazine. He said, “I’ve saved this magazine for a long time for just a person like you. You speak English and this magazine is in English, so…therefore, you should take it and give me the money you think its worth.” He was so disappointed when I said I did not need a magazine which was advertising homes for sale. He didn’t get any money.
A lady, with all her wit still, told me that she has noticed that I go to each and every table and greet the folks, help feed them and straighten their bodies when they are slipping down their wheelchairs, etc. She said, “I think you should stay here. Do go to any other place. You are needed here.” Ah, so sweet!
I get sad when I think of my own end-of-life days. What’s going to happen? How am I going to be? But, I guess no one promises me a long life. “Maybe I’ll go outside and get run over by a beer truck!” That is an inside joke from Spokane! I love these people here. I love watching them pray in the chapel. There is adoration of the Blessed Sacrament daily from after Mass until 1:30 p.m. and I help wheel some ladies there after breakfast. They are so darling. They are wrapped in their fleece blankets or shawls and they sit there looking at the Blessed Sacrament…who knows what they are saying to our Lord. But they look like little doves…they “drink” from the well-springs of life and then they look down. Soon, they look up again and the process is repeated. How I wish I knew what they were thinking and saying! They are God’s gentle little doves.
Pictures of Lupita (holding up a picture of her Mom)came from Acapulco. Picture of women's dining room. (Pinata from Christmas still hanging from ceiling.)