Reminders from Room 430.

I went to see my friend's grandma in the hospital this afternoon.  

Well, first I went to Walmart and bought her some flowers and a card.  Then I signed the card in the parking lot.  And then I went to see her.

I was afraid I wouldn't find her room, or that I'd get the wrong room, or that she wouldn't recognize me and she'd yell for security.  (Okay, maybe I watch too many movies.)

But I did find her room, with minimal difficulty.  She was asleep, so I was just going to set the flowers and card down and not wake her up.  But the flowers were wrapped in crinkly paper, so they made a sound when I sat them down, and it woke her up.

At first she was a little confused, because my face didn't look familiar.  But then when I explained who I was, and that we'd met about 6 years ago, I think she started to remember.  I just told her that I'd heard she was in the hospital and that I wanted to bring her some flowers and see how she was doing.

It reminded me of talking to older people while I was in Lubbock.  My team visited a nursing home once a week for about a month, and I learned a lot.  Older people get so lonely, you know?  It's like they're forgotten.  They just want to talk, they want to be heard.  I understand that I'm generalizing it, and that every situation and every person is different, but that's just my experience.  Nobody likes to feel forgotten, everybody likes to feel heard.  

Seeing my friend's grandma reminded me of that.  It reminded me that I need to not make people I know and love feel forgotten.  I need to do my part, I need to do what I can, to make people feel loved and cared for.  Not because I have to - but because I want to.

It also reminded me that everybody has a story.  I met this woman about 6 years ago, and I knew nearly nothing about her.  She has stories, stories of life and love and loss and pain and good times, stories that I can and should learn from.  

I enjoyed being with her.  It was good for her, I think, because she doesn't get a whole lot of visitors, but it was good for me too.  I needed reminding.

"There is always some madness in love.  But there's always some reason in madness."

-Friedrich Nietzsche

Eighteen.

Eighteen days until I leave.  I can't believe it!  I'm nervous and excited and it still seems so unreal.

Visa update: all four of the girls on my team have our visas!  Yay!  Now we're just waiting on the guys.  Keep remembering them when you pray, please.

Housing update: two of the girls already there in Port Elizabeth (Brittney and Liz) found a house that they can share with the four of us girls.  Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, completely furnished - and when we split up the monthly rent, it's close to half of what we were paying in Lubbock.  That's a really, really good deal.  I'm so excited to see our new house!  As soon they send us some pictures, I'll put them up here.

Eighteen days.

Dwell not upon thy weariness, thy strength shall be according to the measure of thy desire.

-Arab Proverb