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Anna
"Hey
Lady!"
Working in a
nursing home business office
was often quite stressful. My
position demanded that I
provide assistance not only
to twelve department managers
and 150 employees, but to the
100 residents that lived in
the center. Often, I would
find myself feeling somewhat
"tapped out" by the
many demands. So much that I
felt as though I was losing
who "I was" in the
shuffle.
One day I felt
as though my patience was not
what it used to be. So, I
prayed, "Father
God...please...give me
patience." Well, you've
heard it said that 'you'd
better watch what you pray
for because you just might
get it!".
Shortly after
I said that prayer, we had a
new resident admitted to the
facility. Her name was
"Anna". Anna came
to us from New Hampshire. She
was about 4 1/2 feet tall,
and had grayish white hair
that she kept neatly combed.
She was suffering from
Alzheimers and needed
additional assistance in her
daily living. Anna's speech
and attire reflected her most
"proper
upbringing". She soon
developed what I refer to as
a daily routine.
Everyday when
Anna awoke, she would get
dressed. (with her white
sweater over her dress),
clutching her black purse and
go down to have breakfast.
After she finished breakfast,
Anna would come to my office
and say - "Hey Laadyyy!
Excuse me. Can you tell me
what time it is?" I
would look at the clock and
give her the time. Then she
would ask, "What's the
climate like?" I would
proceed to give her the
current weather conditions
and any rain or snow that may
be in the forecast. Then,
Anna would say, "When
does the next bus come
by?" Well.....Anna
wasn't really scheduled to
board any bus....but she
didn't know that because of
her Alzheimers. So, my reply
would simply be -
"Anna,...I don't
know".
Anna would
turn towards the front door,
walk over and just stand
looking out the glass. Then,
she would turn around, come
back to my office and ask the
same three questions she had
just asked 5 minutes prior.
This routine occurred a
minimum of approximately 5
times each day.
"Lord", I said,
"this is truly a
patience learning
experience."
In between
questions from Anna, I
successfully asked a few of
my own, which is how I
learned more about her. She
told me that she was from New
Hampshire. (Her accent
reflected it too!) During
times when Anna's Alzheimers
was not significant we had
delightful conversations. I
soon learned of her love for
the Lord as well. During one
of our talks together Anna
and I agreed that whichever
one of us got to heaven
before the other,...we would
be waiting at the gates to
meet the other one.
One particular
day I went to Anna's room to
visit her. On her dresser was
a framed 8x10 picture of an absolutely
beautiful and stunning
young woman. Anna told me
that it was her, when she was
younger. I looked at her and
said, "Anna, you are
just so beautiful!"
Sometime after
this conversation, Anna
passed away. She left me with
grand memories. Grand
memories of a wonderful lady
from New Hampshire, ...grand
memories of one of the humble
learning experiences in
patience that I will ever
know. One day, I will see
Anna again. She will be
waiting for me at the gates
of heaven.
I love you
Anna, and I can't wait to see
your face again, my wonderful
friend from New Hampshire.
Simply,
"Lady"
