To Be or Not
I’m in
Mississauga, Canada and yesterday, I had an eye opening cab ride. I had just
finished an amazing day with some amazing people. Every year, the people of
Aramark host an event for the folks who are the leadership at long term care
facilities and retirement communities.
These
are the folks who care for the world’s greatest but least appreciated treasure;
our elders. Our elders hold the key to perspective and without their past, we cannot
see the future.
People who care
for the wellbeing of elders have a special place in my heart because I grew up
in a nursing home. Okay, not really, but my mother worked in one and so I got
to go there quite a bit. This is hard and often thankless work but the folks at
Aramark “put on the dog” for them, as my mother would have said about any event
that was really high class.
I could go
on and on about the day as I met folks who made my heart melt with joy, pride
and love but I have an early pick-up for an early flight so I need to get right
to it.
On my way
back to the hotel, I rode with a cab driver I could barely understand. It wasn’t his accent; it was mine, as I was
the foreigner. He asked me what event had been held and I told him about
the folks who cared for the world’s most
forgotten treasure; our elders.
He turned
around, looked at me and smiled and then he said something that left me
speechless for the remainder of the day.
“This is why we are called human beings,
because we are to care for one another.”
Then he turned
back around and drove me to my destination and I thanked him for his wisdom. I
have been pondering his words ever sense.
We are human beings, not doings, not
thinkings, not nothingness. What enables us to BE is how we relate to and care for one another. Do we care about the folks we
see daily or are they just extras in the B movie that is our life?
Go forth and BE
Be you, be real, be
wonderfully caring
Bertice Berry, PhD.
I was at the Aramark event yesterday and I agree it was absolutely fabulous.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to let you know how your simple words both yesterday, and here on your blog (of which I am now an avid fan!) have brought me insight into who I want to be in the world. You made me laugh and, dammit, you made me cry and I came home and held my kids a bit closer and hugged my husband extra hard just for who they are.
Unlike many of the people at yesterday's event, I do not work in long term care; but just like you, I grew up with a mother who did. During my University years I worked at the same home she did but in recreation and gained a HUGE appreciation for the stories of my elders (as well as learning all of the lyrics to fabulous war-time songs at the sing-a-longs I ran).
Thanks for reinforcing that life is fun, and how to get through everyday by seeing the beauty in little things.
Oh! And by the way, my Mom has a great story about a woman who had not only HER dentures on one morning, but also her husbands! "I think there's something wrong..." ;)
And now you made laugh and snort. Thank you so much
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