My beautiful people

Today I went for my weekly visit to Star of the Sea nursing home. I get there about 11.30, stay in the day room and chat to whoever is there. It's usually the same crowd - George, Muriel, Tommy, Abdul and a few others who I see every week.

Tommy has alzheimers. His wife visits every Sunday after church. She tells me that when she walks in he says "here she is" but that's it - he doesn't really remember her. When he sees me, he smiles, puts out his hand to shake mine and says hi - but there's a blank look in his eyes even though he's smiling and he seems happy to see me.

George is also in his own little world, but is always ready to give me a smile and say hello. Last week I found him playing cards. At first I thought he was just putting them down with no purpose but when I stopped and took notice, he was actually playing solitaire. It was hard to stay quiet and not tell him where to put the next card, but I did. And to my amazement he knew what he was doing and he was doing it well. We both had fun that day.

Today Acoco was there - she comes in regularly as a respite patient to give her husband a break as he is her primary carer. I'd met her a couple of weeks ago. She proudly told me then and again today that she used to teach dancing at the primary and secondary schools - that she was a dancer. Acoco is a bit more 'with it' than the others who sit at her table in the day room, so I asked her if she wanted to go for a walk. After establishing that she could stay in the wheel chair - that I didn't expect her to get up and walk - she agreed. I took her outside and down to the gazebo where we sat and faced the water - the beautiful blue green water.

We sat and looked out to the outer islands and she told me that she came from Murray Island and showed me in what direction it lay and how long it takes to get there by dinghy. Admittedly she told me about ten times, but I didn't care. She was having such a lovely time sitting in the open air and looking at the water and the occasional boat that came past. And we had a really lovely moment when I asked her if Murray Island was pretty and she laughed and said "yes it's pretty ...... of course I'm going to praise my own island".

And where at first she was worried about not being back in time for lunch, when I mentioned that maybe we should go back for lunch, she asked the time and then said "don't worry, there's still time".

These are a few of the beautiful souls that I go to see on a Thursday. I always come home with tears in my eyes because invariably one of them will do or say something that touches my heart.

Tomorrow I'll tell you about Obe and Laura. I wish you could meet them. Hopefully my words will bring them to you and you can experience some of the joy/sadness that I feel when I'm with them - it really is a mixed bag.

Sharing my day with these beautiful souls - life is humbling.