Day 751

Today was a 'Lilly Day'...whether she was present or not! In the morning, we spent a couple of hours over at Walker with our friends. She loves the attention and the residents love her!

Home for a couple hours and then back again to Walker. Our dear senior friend, who lost his wife a few weeks ago, had a second gathering to honor her life. This time, it was for the residents at Walker who were unable to attend the funeral. My sweet Sonny requested that I help him set up the room for the event. After we were ready for the guests, he asked me to stay close, but I was able to wander around and bring coffee and treats to some of those who were attending. Every last one asked where Lilly was and why wasn't she there? She is famous around those parts!

When the service began, Sonny stood up and read a letter he had written about his wife. It touched the heart strings and he had to stop a few times to regain his composure. I was ready to jump in if need be, but he pulled himself together and went forward with his presentation. When he was finished, he asked if anyone else would like to say a few words. There were a couple hands that beckoned him over with the microphone and their words were kind.

One special friend spoke eloquently from the heart. Having lost her own Mama a couple of months ago, it was not an easy task to stand in front of an audience. She said she had witnessed the love and care displayed by Sonny and it was such a special gift. She went on to explain that being a care-giver is not easy, but she had learned so much by watching Sonny with his wife. Her words were touching and true.

Then, he got the microphone back and walked my way. He held it out to me and I tried to get my thoughts in order. What could I do...I had to speak. I stood up, wrapped my arm around his waist and told the group that I had witnessed the deepest love. His caring for her went beyond anything I had ever seen and the love between them never diminished. Even near the end of her journey, when she could no longer talk, she would look into his eyes and the love was so very evident.

Lessons learned from this man. Some of us were able to see how love can be palpable when you are caring for someone you adore. We learned that it is an honor to be the one to care for a loved one. We also learned that love is not always a give-and-take. Sometimes it is more one-sided...until you look into the eyes of the person being cared for. There, the love in those eyes equals it all out.

It is such a privilege to be involved in the lives of these seniors. I love them dearly and learn so much from their journey. I am so blessed to be at the end of the leash...because that is where it all started!