Today, August 26th: God knows me and He knows how badly my heart longs for direct service and interaction with these seniors because He keeps having people invite me to help them with lunch service at the homes my agency oversees. So today I went with one of my co-workers to one of our residences to do lunch service and it was so fun...only ten seniors were eating lunch with us, so it wasn't too strenuous of an activity to serve them...that's not to say that it was lacking for entertaining moments...
I went over to a man, who looked about 70 years old and handed him a milk and a juice and he looked at me and said, "why thank you young lady. My name is *Willy Big Lovin' Mack and you can come up to my room anytime." I looked at him and laughed as I said, "you're welcome. My name is Katie and I appreciate the offer!" I then went to the other seniors and gave them their beverages. Then,I had to deliver their salads. So again, I walked up to Willy and handed him his salad and he said, "come on now. I'm gonna tell you what I'm gonna do; I'm gonna give you my number." I smiled and laughed again and continued delivering the salads around the room. Then, I had to deliver their actual meal...at this point I told my co-worker about Willy "Big Lovin'" Mack and she laughed and said, "yeah, that's the usual."
I walked up to him again, smiling because I was trying to predict what he was going to say and as I handed him his plate he pointed at the paper placemat and said, "I'm gonna write my number right here. Just for you. And I won't treat ya like no street girl either 'cause you so nice." Again, I laughed and from behind I heard my co-worker say, "Willy, you know no body wants yo number. Get off it." He smiled and I continued handing out the plates of food. Such a funny set of events and it made me appreciate the little interactions I have with people so much.
***Non-Gratitude Journal Entry: As we were about ready to leave, the major supervisor at that facility walked into the room and said, "Sorry, ya'll but I hate to interrupt but Miss _______ in room _____ just passed on." The people in the lunch room just said, "oh Miss _____. Oh OK. She been in bed for a while" and they kept eating. It was nothing to them. Death is such a reality to these people that it doesn't even phase them anymore. Willy looked at me and said, "well we all gots to go through it...you can't go around it, over it, under it...you gots to go through it." Such an interesting way to view death...hmmmm. It just made me think and made me look deeper into everything about aging. I've never thought about it to a deep extent because I'm 23 years old but being in this environment, surrounded by the inevitability of death just makes mortality jump to the front of my mind. I guess Willy's saying is good because it can apply to my second year as a volunteer as well: there will be difficult times, but I gotta get through them...I can't go around it, over it or under...just through it.
*Names have been changed for obvious reasons.
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