The characters depicted in the following have false names due to the fact I currently am training in a Care Center facility and don't wish to get my ass reamed or failed. This is not a usual comical story, yet a touching one. Get out your tissues. Enjoy.
For three days I've been socializing with the elderly of my little town of Wyoming, cleaning messes, feeding them, and everything in between. Today, I got to be acquainted with a particularly interesting couple- we'll call them Sue and Dale. The CNA that I was to shadow that day had that lovely couple in her care. It was about lunch and time for a bathroom break. For those of the audience who aren't aware, it is rare that an elderly, at any given care center, won't need assistance. We walked Sue and Dale to their shared room- to meet their little dog of which I came to find out they'd had for six years.
Ladies first, so as the aid helped her, I conversed with Dale for a small bit until his turn. He smiles as he almost immediately starts to tell me, "You know we've been together about 75 years." I'm intrigued. "Oh yeah?" I hint to more, with a smile. "Oh yes yes." He breathes in deeply, I wait for him to continue. "You know, it was me and a buddy who were at a basketball game many years ago. We saw two of the cutest cheerleaders and snuck up on them and told them we wanted them over at our place after the game. They told us they had boyfriends that were to wait for them after the game. So we told them to go ahead and get changed when the game was over and sneak out the window of their changing room. We'd help them down and take them to their boyfriends. So, after the games we helped them out of the window and left with them. Been together ever since." He smiled as he was finished with that portion of the story.
He saw me smiling in disbelief and amazement. "Yup," he said," my buddy and the other cheerleader were together too, but they passed away some time ago. A sort of reminiscing in his eyes and this thought. "I'm in awe. That's a very long time." I commented. What else do you say to that? "Yup. We don't fight. I still love her. We grew up here together."
"You've lived in *said city* your whole life?"
"Mmhmm."
"And her?"
"I don't really know where she's from anymore." He chuckles. So do I. "But I think she's from here too."
At this time, Sue comes out, and Dale goes in.
While passing each other, her in walker, him in wheelchair, Dale says to her, "Give me a kiss." "What?!" She instantly responds. "Don't worry," he says, "I'll give you one back." Sue smiles and surely gives him a kiss on the lips and tries to pull away. "Wait!" Dale says, "I didn't give you one back." She leans over and receives her kiss.
Sue's time for a chat. As she's sitting down, I'm wiping back tears, trying to gain composure. "So your husband tells me you've been together for quite some time." She smiles that smile. Even under her elderly skin, all of those wrinkles and delicate features- I know that smile anywhere. She loves him still before she even says the words. "We got married in 1940." She tells me. " But were with each other before that." The tears keep coming as she tells me her side of the deal, "I was a cheerleader and he liked to pick on me. He's straightened up over the years." We giggle the gossip-chuckle together. She restates his thoughts, "Yup. Been together 70-some years and still I love him. We don't really fight. We argue. But never fight." She smiles. " I think we'll be just fine as long as he keeps his act together." A shared gossip-chuckle again. "What about you?" She asks, catching me a little off guard. "What do you mean?" I ask. "Well, your smile, how did you and your guy meet?" I blush a little bit. Didn't think I was obvious. "Well. We worked at a store together. Then he needed help moving into another place, then took me on dates and we've been together ever since." I smiled my biggest, as she caught that my last line mimicked her's. "How long have you been together for?" She asked. "A year." I smiled once more. Today that she ask me is the day we've officially been a year. She mimics me in return," Oh wow!" and we laugh. "Nothing like 75 years." I say.
Dale comes out and the two exchange a glance. "Ready for dinner, sweetheart?" Dale asks. "I am, dear." She replies. The two head down the winding hallways to the dining hall.
I love that. I can't tell you how much my heart goes out to those two and other couples who have stuck with it over the years. Anyone that knows me can tell you I'm no sap and don't give into the romantic comedy chick flicks of today. You can keep your flings and heart-throbs- I don't want em. Some day I hope to be able to say I've been with someone for even fifty years. I think it's phenomenal- some of the relationships that last to the end of their days. I think it's the most beautiful thing ever to love someone, and actually show dedication by finding something every day about them that you love. Every day being patient with them. Every day having new adventures as not to take each other for granted. I love the elderly. So tossed aside in the world of today in the American culture. So underestimated.
For three days I've been socializing with the elderly of my little town of Wyoming, cleaning messes, feeding them, and everything in between. Today, I got to be acquainted with a particularly interesting couple- we'll call them Sue and Dale. The CNA that I was to shadow that day had that lovely couple in her care. It was about lunch and time for a bathroom break. For those of the audience who aren't aware, it is rare that an elderly, at any given care center, won't need assistance. We walked Sue and Dale to their shared room- to meet their little dog of which I came to find out they'd had for six years.
Ladies first, so as the aid helped her, I conversed with Dale for a small bit until his turn. He smiles as he almost immediately starts to tell me, "You know we've been together about 75 years." I'm intrigued. "Oh yeah?" I hint to more, with a smile. "Oh yes yes." He breathes in deeply, I wait for him to continue. "You know, it was me and a buddy who were at a basketball game many years ago. We saw two of the cutest cheerleaders and snuck up on them and told them we wanted them over at our place after the game. They told us they had boyfriends that were to wait for them after the game. So we told them to go ahead and get changed when the game was over and sneak out the window of their changing room. We'd help them down and take them to their boyfriends. So, after the games we helped them out of the window and left with them. Been together ever since." He smiled as he was finished with that portion of the story.
He saw me smiling in disbelief and amazement. "Yup," he said," my buddy and the other cheerleader were together too, but they passed away some time ago. A sort of reminiscing in his eyes and this thought. "I'm in awe. That's a very long time." I commented. What else do you say to that? "Yup. We don't fight. I still love her. We grew up here together."
"You've lived in *said city* your whole life?"
"Mmhmm."
"And her?"
"I don't really know where she's from anymore." He chuckles. So do I. "But I think she's from here too."
At this time, Sue comes out, and Dale goes in.
While passing each other, her in walker, him in wheelchair, Dale says to her, "Give me a kiss." "What?!" She instantly responds. "Don't worry," he says, "I'll give you one back." Sue smiles and surely gives him a kiss on the lips and tries to pull away. "Wait!" Dale says, "I didn't give you one back." She leans over and receives her kiss.
Sue's time for a chat. As she's sitting down, I'm wiping back tears, trying to gain composure. "So your husband tells me you've been together for quite some time." She smiles that smile. Even under her elderly skin, all of those wrinkles and delicate features- I know that smile anywhere. She loves him still before she even says the words. "We got married in 1940." She tells me. " But were with each other before that." The tears keep coming as she tells me her side of the deal, "I was a cheerleader and he liked to pick on me. He's straightened up over the years." We giggle the gossip-chuckle together. She restates his thoughts, "Yup. Been together 70-some years and still I love him. We don't really fight. We argue. But never fight." She smiles. " I think we'll be just fine as long as he keeps his act together." A shared gossip-chuckle again. "What about you?" She asks, catching me a little off guard. "What do you mean?" I ask. "Well, your smile, how did you and your guy meet?" I blush a little bit. Didn't think I was obvious. "Well. We worked at a store together. Then he needed help moving into another place, then took me on dates and we've been together ever since." I smiled my biggest, as she caught that my last line mimicked her's. "How long have you been together for?" She asked. "A year." I smiled once more. Today that she ask me is the day we've officially been a year. She mimics me in return," Oh wow!" and we laugh. "Nothing like 75 years." I say.
Dale comes out and the two exchange a glance. "Ready for dinner, sweetheart?" Dale asks. "I am, dear." She replies. The two head down the winding hallways to the dining hall.
I love that. I can't tell you how much my heart goes out to those two and other couples who have stuck with it over the years. Anyone that knows me can tell you I'm no sap and don't give into the romantic comedy chick flicks of today. You can keep your flings and heart-throbs- I don't want em. Some day I hope to be able to say I've been with someone for even fifty years. I think it's phenomenal- some of the relationships that last to the end of their days. I think it's the most beautiful thing ever to love someone, and actually show dedication by finding something every day about them that you love. Every day being patient with them. Every day having new adventures as not to take each other for granted. I love the elderly. So tossed aside in the world of today in the American culture. So underestimated.
