Every Sunday afternoon, Justin volunteers at the nursing home. He rushes from church, grabs a quick bite, and pushes open heavy glass doors to find residents waiting for him (even when they don’t remember him). He finds his familiar faces, and once the corners of their mouths have turned up, he moves on down the hall to make more friends and more smiles. He calls bingo, cracks jokes, hugs necks, and leaves with the promise of next week. I’ve been eating up his stories and melting with every photo. So finally, with a stern warning that I could not make a weekly commitment, I tagged along to meet these characters…
Opal
Opal’s mouth is ever ready to release a laugh and the reminder that she will be getting her new teeth soon. Justin and Opal tease each other like old friends. She gives as good as she gets. When Justin offers her a ride on his motorcycle to go find her teeth, Opal laughs before uttering a playful threat and giving him a punch and a pinch. Justin and Opal’s back and forth leave me with face-breaking smiles. As we said our goodbyes, Opal motioned me close and told me that Justin was her boyfriend. We giggled. We’re two lucky gals.
Pearl
I met Pearl on her way to Bingo, where I felt like Vanna White displaying the giant letters and numbers. When she returned to her room, I knelt down next to her wheelchair to say goodbye. I love when attempted goodbyes become u-turns. It’s like you’re trying to walk out the door of someone’s day and get pulled into some big comfy armchair in their heart. She shared a bit of her life with me. She cried because she wanted to go home but no longer had a home to go to. I cried too. We talked about how Jesus is our home. We prayed together. She told me she loved me and asked me to come back next week. And suddenly making a commitment didn’t seem so difficult. I kissed her on the cheek and promised to come back.
Estelle
Sweet, radiant Estelle. We sat in the green room together, drawing, talking very loudly, saying "WHAT" repeatedly. She’s a bit hard of hearing, and so am I. I'm sure it's more than a little amusing to be the audience to our back and forth. She said she was going to draw my portrait and then sketched out what appeared to be a mountainside covered with trees. I drew Estelle, the soft curves of her face, wisps of white, pink polka dot sweater. She spoke of the Lord and her father with such honor. Every other word out of her mouth was “lovely” and “beautiful”. We went a few rounds declaring the other beautiful. It was like the most wonderful game of tag. Her favorite flowers are roses, roses of every color. I asked if she’d ever grown her own roses in a garden. She had. I asked what else she liked to grow in her garden. “People… because they are beautiful.”
Gardening is highlighted on my ever-growing, long, long list of things I need to do intermingled with things I long to do. But as much as I want to grow lavender, basil, and honeysuckle, I want so much more to be like sweet Estelle, who grows people with her warm smiles, wise words, and commitment to love. Because they are so beautiful.
And now a treat for you…
The bright and shining Estelle who is growing me with her every word. My heart might burst. Yours too, right?
Photo taken by Estelle's bff, Justin Marshall
