Thursday, August 28, 2008
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Richard Radcliff
Radcliff of Blue Ridge is a volunteer for Meals on Wheels.
Meals on Wheels merely tells us what and how mechanically one does the job, but there is more to it than just meals and wheels; there is the magic of one on one (or two).
If you need a passion to keep you alive and helping people, you can find it with Meals on Wheels. Of course, it will cost you, but take it out of your church tithe. It will do more good than a bus or pew cushions.
On my route, I start with one of 15; Marylyn is waiting for someone to give her a little lift. As I open the door to her basement apartment, her smile covers her face and she says "good morning" and "not quite yet." For months, I have promised I would dance with her when she becomes able to stand alone.
We plan for a time when she can push her walker aside and I will drop my basket for this big dance. She knows what my first question will be, therefore the "not quite yet."
That is wonderful to hear because she still has hope. I don't hear well and she can't talk above a whisper, but we have become friends, so we figure it out.
I only have a few minutes to visit but before I can leave, she wants to know how I feel. These few minutes gets me in the mood to make my day. I look at my schedule and my next friend-to-be looks like a name I should know.
I knock, open the door and recognize the face of a friend from maybe 30 years ago. His heart has given him a very slim chance of enjoying his life. He is using mechanical things, but they refuse to be of much help. His visitor that day, besides me, is a hospice helper.
Next, I visit Sylvia who tells me she is going to get help for her liver ailment, which requires a stint. (She is already in a wheelchair.) Then to Emeline's apartment. She is back on my list after being in a nursing home. After seeing her smiling face, I come to a couple who are happy to see me. Next is Nancy, who seems to be living alone in a big house, and she is smiling also.
I travel awhile before seeing Ray and Gustie who live in a basement apartment with their cat. They are nice people who seem to really appreciate the small thing I do for them. They thank me from the time I open the door until I close it. Then, I visit a couple who have been my friends for many years. Ray is unable to do very much to enjoy life, but he is very fortunate to have Betty. They are two nice people.
Next is Deloris, who I always see at a window sitting in her chair, waiting. She is a very pleasant lady. Then to Paul, alone on top of a hill, surrounded by his life collections. In his yard (he has several acres) is a burial spot that I imagine is the place of his wife.
These friends of mine appear and disappear on my list. All of them are alike, yet different. They all have a story to tell. Please listen.
