Friday, February 21, 2014

21:02:14 Love is...

Love is...
...opening the wardrobe of an elderly patient and finding a clean handkerchief folded and placed in the pocket of every one of his freshly laundered tops.

I look after many frail and aging people in Rehab. Almost all of them have anxious families in the background wondering if this is the point where they will have to admit they cannot care for their loved one at home anymore. Some days I will see an interaction between a husband and wife or a daughter and father and it leaves me humbled at the love that is shown in small ways. 

Today I opened a wardrobe to take out fresh day clothes for one of my patients. He was being discharged home into the care of his daughter. I grabbed the first top I saw and as I was walking towards the bathroom I spotted the handkerchief neatly folded in the left breast pocket. I stopped and looked back at the other tops, all clean, ironed and hung in a row and all with a folded handkerchief in the pocket. 

I dried the frail old man and helped his thin arms into his top. Without looking he reached for the handkerchief in his left breast pocket and he used it to dab at the dribble of saliva coming out of the corner of his mouth. It was instinctive. He knew it would be there. As it was yesterday, as it was going to be tomorrow. The tears pricked in my eyes and I knew he was loved. 

4 comments - click here to leave your comment:

  1. Beautiful story...

     
  2. Hi Gina. Just found you on A Time to Create blog. This post is so special. I have worked in aged care and you have summed it up perfectly. You are in the right place when you notice those little things, and when you get some unexpected water in your eyes! Hope you don't mind if I follow along with you. Jane x

     
  3. That's really beautiful Gina. xxx

     
  4. That is beautiful. It reminds me of my grandfather...and now my dad, he always has a handkerchief.