A Day With Grandpa

A Day With Grandpa

Today I spent the day with my elderly Grandpa.  It was a wonderful opportunity to get to connect with him, and yet it was an exercise in patience.

You see, not only is my grandfather elderly, he also suffers from a brain injury.  He had a stroke over 20 years ago, so his short term memory is almost non existent.  He will ask the same question 15 times a day, not remembering that he just asked a few minutes prior.  

You see, my Grandma passed away about 4 years ago - they were married for almost 60 years and he is lost without her.  His lack of short term memory has also hindered his understanding of time. He still feels like it was just last week since she died, and he can’t seem to accept or understand that she is gone.  He is so lonely - not because there are no people around, but because he is so lonely for her. He is lonely for the woman that he spent his life with and no one can replace her.

It is so sad to watch him wander around, seemingly aimless because all he can think about is what he has lost.  

What this day has made think is how much the elderly people in our society need our love, care, and company.  My Grandpa needs me to sit and have coffee with him and talk about my Grandma and how much we miss her - even if we have to have the same conversation 15 times a day.  He needs to know that I care about him and that although I don’t understand his pain, I acknowledge and feel his loss.

There is a lot to learn from someone like my Grandpa, even with a brain injury like his.  Things like commitment, dedication, history, and family lineage.

My point is that there is something to learn from everyone, even the people who can test our patience.  Sometimes they are the people who we learn the most from. So if there is someone in your life who needs to know that you care, take the time to learn from them and appreciate them.  

I always say what goes around comes around - the concept of you reap what you sow.  Maybe one day I will be elderly and lonely, and I sure hope that someone will take the time to come sit with me and show that they care.