Donald

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I realize this photo has nothing to do with the story I am about to tell you, but it is one of my favorite pictures of my so Matthew as a baby. You need to relish the small stuff as you forge your way through life and realize that sometimes it will have greater impact on you than the greater things you may encounter. And so, it was with Donald and the huge blessing I was given in a very unassuming package.


Donald 

 

This morning as I walked to my car after getting a hot chocolate, I glanced across the field at the flashing red and white lights of an ambulance. It was parked at the local retirement home. This is really not a “retirement home “.  

It isn't as though the residents play shuffleboard, or mind endless hours in bridge games. It is, rather, a place where people go to die. I know this because when I was 18, I worked as a CNA in the local hospital. On a regular basis we received patients from that very home. One day I was assigned to one of its residents, his name was Donald. Donald arrived in a very disheveled state. His eyes were hollow, absent from any memories the years may have given him. His hands were dirty, soiled nails telling the story of his incontinence. He could no longer feed or bathe himself. But somehow, I could see past all of that. Behind his feeble presence, beat the heart of a once vital man. Donald had a history, a history I was determined to unlock! 

For weeks I worked with Donald. Soon he had mastered feeding himself. He could comb his hair and brush his teeth. His metamorphosis touched my very soul. By the time he was released I sent him off with confidence and pride.  

 

 

 

 

Two weeks later Donald returned. His hair was dirty, nails soiled, and he was unable to eat on his own. He died shortly thereafter.  

Donald taught me humility and respect. To this day I carry these lessons close to my heart. As the ambulance pulled away, I wondered if there was a man named Donald in it. And with gratitude for what he had given me, I bowed my head in prayer. For really, it was all I could do. 


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