Day 478
This girl went to visit her friends at Walker this morning. We stopped in to see our beloved regulars and then tried making some new friends along by the way.
Lilly is always welcomed wherever she shows up, so making the acquaintance of a resident or two was right up her alley. We knock, enter a room and the smiles erupt! It would seem most seniors love a Golden...or any dog for that matter.
Our last visit, before checking in on our beloved harmonica player, was one of those encounters that brought out the tears. We were welcomed in by a sweet lady who addressed Lilly by name. We had met a few times in the hallway, but this was not one of our regulars
After chatting about the weather, our connection to education and a few other topics, she looked me right in the eye and said,
"Thank you for coming. It makes us feel normal."
Absorbing that thought took a heartbeat, but it sunk in down to my core. She spoke for all of the seniors with this simple, enlightening statement. Their life does not feel normal. Attempts are constantly made to make the facility feel like home, but the residents aren't fooled...they know what home really feels like.
In days gone by, their 'normal' might have included driving to get groceries, taking a long walk by the river or simply cooking a big meal to be enjoyed by family. Wheelchairs and walkers roam the halls, the dining area is beautiful (not exactly home-cooked meals with family recipes) and the median age must be about 85. They are an accepting group, but they all want to be home again.
Bringing a Therapy Dog around must be a little bit like going home. For a moment, the accepted nature of senior living is cloaked by the panting, smiling face of a golden retriever. The tears in my eyes were simply a reaction to the simple gift Lilly offered...a feeling of normalcy in the midst of aging and bidding farewell to everyday freedoms.
It is an honor to be at the other end of the leash when one heart speaks the truth to my own heart. I am so lucky to be an audience to moments such as these. It helps my heart grow. As for the pups...they have no idea what a gift they are to others.
