What a Difference a Year Makes…a Lesson In Clarity

On Sunday, December 22nd, last year, I was privileged enough to accompany my sweet friend, Marsha to a nursing home. This facility is one that Marsha visits often in bringing the Eucharist to the Catholic staff and residents.

On this particular day, we were delivering Jesus in the Eucharist and also spreading some Christmas cheer with cards done by the youth in Marsha’s group and singing a few Christmas carols with Tony playing his guitar.

Marsha gave me a run down in the car…but plans changed and our quick in and out morphed into a lesson in clarity for me.

If you know me personally, you know our family’s stance on nursing homes. We have done everything in our power to ensure our family members never have to go into one. That’s a story for another day. Anyway, I had steeled myself for the trip. Just the thought of the smell made my stomach turn.

When we arrived, Tony was there, but another sweet friend, Martha was there. I had met Martha several months earlier when I did her Safe Environment interview. She is an absolute blessing. Martha is bilingual and was sitting with Maria, who typically has trouble with “strangers” and has a special nurse who helps Marsha and her team. Maria was sitting with Martha chatting when we walked up. No, struggle. No stress about “strangers”. Maria received Jesus in the Eucharist and immediately began to cry. It was truly special. After Maria collected herself, Tony started to play, Feliz Navidad. Maria joined in singing with a huge smile. What a blessing to see. We gave Maria her Christmas cards, and her tears flowed again. She was truly touched to have been remembered at Christmas time.

We began our rounds through the halls, dropping cards in rooms as we went. I don’t remember exactly which room we were in, but I remember an overwhelming sense of relief that my Mom hadn’t had to linger like some of these residents were. They were just simply existing.

You see, I still had issues with God about the when and how my Mom died in July 2023. She was alone. She was in her bed. I didn’t have a chance to say goodbye or to hold her hand as she left. But, having been in that facility that Sunday morning, I realized as difficult as my situation had been, it could’ve been so much worse.

There is absolutely no way my Mom would’ve wanted to just exist. There is absolutely no way I could have let her live in a place like that. There is also no way my independent Mom would have ever come to live with us though we had asked multiple times. She made her decision perfectly clear.

Going into that nursing home, I never expected the lessons I learned that morning. God took my Mom because her job was done on earth. God took my Mom to preserve her independence. God took my Mom to protect both of us from a long and painful goodbye. Although I would have rather been there with her, He chose otherwise. So, I am choosing to be thankful for His timing and I am choosing to believe He did it for our good.

What a difference a year makes!

Peace and blessings to you and yours!

lp