My Life as a Concierge
I LOVE my job at Sunrise Assisted Living. Sure, it can get a little slow in the evenings once everyone turns in for bed around 5:30, but I couldn't imagine a better part-time job. I tend to experience so many of life's more meaningful moments when I'm at work. I have received comments ranging from death threats ("I'm going to kill you!!!! Tell your mother.") to fervent declarations of love ("And the truth of it is, I love you! And that's a fact."). I have formed friendships with people four times my age and made more 911 calls than I can count on one hand. I've chased escapees down the street, sang songs from the 1920s at the top of my lungs, and had conversations that wouldn't make sense to anyone who didn't have dementia. I wish that you could all meet the people I see every weekend, because they have taught me so much about the world, about life, and about love. Here are just a few short stories about some of the most interesting characters:
One lady stopped me tonight with a "Hey Babe, what's up?" When I told her I was just bringing some dishes back to the kitchen, she informed me that she was, in fact, working with the Secret Service. When I asked her what she was doing exactly, she said "I can't tell you! That's why it's called the Secret Service!" This same delightful woman also takes great joy in recounting the tale of how she pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals, but they kicked her off because she was a girl. Another favorite story of hers always goes exactly like this. "I had a wonderful husband. He was a dentist. He'd have given me the moon if I asked. In fact, he took me to the moon once! And you don't know how big the moon is until you've stood on it." What a fabulous way for her to remember her husband. Somehow, I don't think he would be offended that she doesn't even remember his name.
There are several married couples at Sunrise, but one in particular serves as my great model of what I hope to have someday. They are both well into their 90s, and they are still in love. Neither of them can walk, the wife can't hear, and the husband can't see, but just watching them interact often brings tears to my eyes. Last weekend they were snuggling on the couch (holding hands of course) when the wife started singing, "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine...." Her husband looked at her and asked, in a teasing voice, "I am?" She look at him and said, "well, yeah!" When I asked them how they had met, they looked at each other and said, "I don't remember....We've known each other since we were teenagers!" Wow. They will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary this year.
Another lady who I just love wins the prize for the resident I have had to chase down the street the most times. The other night I went to visit her right before I left since she hadn't been by the front desk in a couple of weeks. It was obvious to me that she didn't really know who I was, but she did know that she was happy to see me. She started to cry as I began asking her how she was doing. When I asked her why she was crying, she looked at me and said through her tears, "You have the most perfect teeth!" I almost cried on the way home just thinking about how beautiful and how sad she looked. Someone once told me, "People with dementia will never remember your name, but they will always remember who has been kind to them." I hope I don't miss too many opportunities to share a smile with someone who needs it.
One lady stopped me tonight with a "Hey Babe, what's up?" When I told her I was just bringing some dishes back to the kitchen, she informed me that she was, in fact, working with the Secret Service. When I asked her what she was doing exactly, she said "I can't tell you! That's why it's called the Secret Service!" This same delightful woman also takes great joy in recounting the tale of how she pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals, but they kicked her off because she was a girl. Another favorite story of hers always goes exactly like this. "I had a wonderful husband. He was a dentist. He'd have given me the moon if I asked. In fact, he took me to the moon once! And you don't know how big the moon is until you've stood on it." What a fabulous way for her to remember her husband. Somehow, I don't think he would be offended that she doesn't even remember his name.
There are several married couples at Sunrise, but one in particular serves as my great model of what I hope to have someday. They are both well into their 90s, and they are still in love. Neither of them can walk, the wife can't hear, and the husband can't see, but just watching them interact often brings tears to my eyes. Last weekend they were snuggling on the couch (holding hands of course) when the wife started singing, "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine...." Her husband looked at her and asked, in a teasing voice, "I am?" She look at him and said, "well, yeah!" When I asked them how they had met, they looked at each other and said, "I don't remember....We've known each other since we were teenagers!" Wow. They will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary this year.
Another lady who I just love wins the prize for the resident I have had to chase down the street the most times. The other night I went to visit her right before I left since she hadn't been by the front desk in a couple of weeks. It was obvious to me that she didn't really know who I was, but she did know that she was happy to see me. She started to cry as I began asking her how she was doing. When I asked her why she was crying, she looked at me and said through her tears, "You have the most perfect teeth!" I almost cried on the way home just thinking about how beautiful and how sad she looked. Someone once told me, "People with dementia will never remember your name, but they will always remember who has been kind to them." I hope I don't miss too many opportunities to share a smile with someone who needs it.
posted by Erinn @ 8:54 PM
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