"You're Lucky to Have Them"
I went to visit my grandma tonight. She lives in an assisted living facility. When we got there, she wasn't in her room. It was dinner time, but she usually eats right at 4:30 (old people-weird- I wonder if I'll eat earlier when I am older) anyway, it was around 5:30 when we arrived and she wasn't in her room. I decided to hang out with the kids in this sitting area where the hallways meet. There was a radio playing (Mix 94.1 of all stations-not really "retired people" music) and the kids started dancing. They were twirling and hopping and standing on one leg-regular kid dancing. Well, the old people started to gather around and watch. I heard them saying things like, "It's so nice to have kids around" and "Aren't they so cute?" and "Do you want to sit and watch the kids?" I was thinking what a great thing my kids were doing for these old people by just being themselves. I was also thinking what a sad place it is (it's NOT a nursing home and most of the people there aren't really sick, just elderly and it's decorated very nice like a hotel and the dining room is like a restaurant with a menu and you get served. All in all, a very nice place. Emma calls my grandma the Queen Grandma because I once explained that people clean and cook for her.) I was thinking it is sad because those people are just waiting for someone to visit them. What would that be like? How would that feel? I do one thing, my kids were a little piece of joy tonight.
But right before we went to get my grandma from the dining hall because we had waited for about half an hour, a lady that is new to the facility came out of her room and said that she just wanted to get a closer look at the children. She came and sat on her walker right next to where my kids were. There were couches all around, but she sat in the middle of the floor on her walker. Loredana introduced her to each of us. I asked her if she had any grandchildren. She replied, "No, I don't have any children alive." Well, I didn't really know how to respond. I assumed that she had had a child at one time, but s/he must have passed away or something else terrible. Before she got up and went back to her room she said to me, "Your children are lovely, you are lucky to have them."
Yes, I am lucky to have them. I am lucky to have them alive and well. I am lucky to have them smart and safe. I am lucky to have them making messes and being silly. I am lucky to have them hugging, and kissing, and laughing, and reading, and creating, and playing, and crying, and loving.
I think she may have been thinking in terms of her own situation and that I am lucky to have them so in my old age they can care for me and visit me (I hope they will visit me). But I think she meant I am lucky to have them for the rest of "our" lives-however long that is. Everyday I am lucky.
As I was leaving I realized what a wonderful thing this woman did for me, just by being herself. I need to take my kids to visit the Queen Grandma more often because we are all lucky to have each other.
I went to visit my grandma tonight. She lives in an assisted living facility. When we got there, she wasn't in her room. It was dinner time, but she usually eats right at 4:30 (old people-weird- I wonder if I'll eat earlier when I am older) anyway, it was around 5:30 when we arrived and she wasn't in her room. I decided to hang out with the kids in this sitting area where the hallways meet. There was a radio playing (Mix 94.1 of all stations-not really "retired people" music) and the kids started dancing. They were twirling and hopping and standing on one leg-regular kid dancing. Well, the old people started to gather around and watch. I heard them saying things like, "It's so nice to have kids around" and "Aren't they so cute?" and "Do you want to sit and watch the kids?" I was thinking what a great thing my kids were doing for these old people by just being themselves. I was also thinking what a sad place it is (it's NOT a nursing home and most of the people there aren't really sick, just elderly and it's decorated very nice like a hotel and the dining room is like a restaurant with a menu and you get served. All in all, a very nice place. Emma calls my grandma the Queen Grandma because I once explained that people clean and cook for her.) I was thinking it is sad because those people are just waiting for someone to visit them. What would that be like? How would that feel? I do one thing, my kids were a little piece of joy tonight.
But right before we went to get my grandma from the dining hall because we had waited for about half an hour, a lady that is new to the facility came out of her room and said that she just wanted to get a closer look at the children. She came and sat on her walker right next to where my kids were. There were couches all around, but she sat in the middle of the floor on her walker. Loredana introduced her to each of us. I asked her if she had any grandchildren. She replied, "No, I don't have any children alive." Well, I didn't really know how to respond. I assumed that she had had a child at one time, but s/he must have passed away or something else terrible. Before she got up and went back to her room she said to me, "Your children are lovely, you are lucky to have them."
Yes, I am lucky to have them. I am lucky to have them alive and well. I am lucky to have them smart and safe. I am lucky to have them making messes and being silly. I am lucky to have them hugging, and kissing, and laughing, and reading, and creating, and playing, and crying, and loving.
I think she may have been thinking in terms of her own situation and that I am lucky to have them so in my old age they can care for me and visit me (I hope they will visit me). But I think she meant I am lucky to have them for the rest of "our" lives-however long that is. Everyday I am lucky.
As I was leaving I realized what a wonderful thing this woman did for me, just by being herself. I need to take my kids to visit the Queen Grandma more often because we are all lucky to have each other.
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