Visiting Angels
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I sat in the living room yesterday, in a tiny house in the tiny village, just three blocks from the church. With me sat "Archie" and "Edith" (not their names), and an enormous golden retriever named Emma. I'm not exagerating when I say that Emma weighs in at at least 130 pounds.
Archie and Edith are very long time members of St. Stoic. They have lived in this little village for all of their married life, which will be 62 years next month.
Archie has inoperable cancer, and Alzheimer's. He is a sunny man with impeccable hearing, but he cannot remember if he still works driving a delivery truck for the local distillery, or if he is retired. He cannot remember if he is 60 years old, or 86 years old. He cannot remember what he had for lunch. But he knows where Emma is at all times, and he still can finish Edith's sentences.
While I was there, there was a knock at the door. I asked Edith "Are you expecting company?" She answered, "Just our angel." "Your what?" I asked.
"Our visiting angels from Nearby Hospice come every afternoon. They bathe Archie or read to him. They run our errands, or help us with our laundry. Sometimes they will sit with Archie while I take Emma for a short walk."
It was indeed their angel, Sharon. She had stopped by the local supermarket at the edge of town and bought Archie his favorite ice cream. While Archie enjoyed a bowl in the kitchen with Sharon, I asked Edith, "Have the angels prepared you for what comes next?"
"Well, they've tried. But I don't know how I'm going to explain it to Emma. I've had Archie for 62 years. Emma's only had him for ten. I'm awfully worried about her, what she's going to do when Archie is gone."
After I left their house I was thinking about what Edith said. I was also thinking about how Archie and Edith still look at each other, how so many years of understanding can pass between them in just one glance. She is so gentle with him, correcting him if he answers in a way that she doesn't think the other people in the room will understand, but otherwise, not getting upset at his lapses. He asks her to help him if he is having trouble remembering, because he trusts that she will know just what to say.
The visit taught me much about patience, love, and fidelity.
And angels.
Archie and Edith are very long time members of St. Stoic. They have lived in this little village for all of their married life, which will be 62 years next month.
Archie has inoperable cancer, and Alzheimer's. He is a sunny man with impeccable hearing, but he cannot remember if he still works driving a delivery truck for the local distillery, or if he is retired. He cannot remember if he is 60 years old, or 86 years old. He cannot remember what he had for lunch. But he knows where Emma is at all times, and he still can finish Edith's sentences.
While I was there, there was a knock at the door. I asked Edith "Are you expecting company?" She answered, "Just our angel." "Your what?" I asked.
"Our visiting angels from Nearby Hospice come every afternoon. They bathe Archie or read to him. They run our errands, or help us with our laundry. Sometimes they will sit with Archie while I take Emma for a short walk."
It was indeed their angel, Sharon. She had stopped by the local supermarket at the edge of town and bought Archie his favorite ice cream. While Archie enjoyed a bowl in the kitchen with Sharon, I asked Edith, "Have the angels prepared you for what comes next?"
"Well, they've tried. But I don't know how I'm going to explain it to Emma. I've had Archie for 62 years. Emma's only had him for ten. I'm awfully worried about her, what she's going to do when Archie is gone."
After I left their house I was thinking about what Edith said. I was also thinking about how Archie and Edith still look at each other, how so many years of understanding can pass between them in just one glance. She is so gentle with him, correcting him if he answers in a way that she doesn't think the other people in the room will understand, but otherwise, not getting upset at his lapses. He asks her to help him if he is having trouble remembering, because he trusts that she will know just what to say.
The visit taught me much about patience, love, and fidelity.
And angels.
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