Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Broken Bodies, Broken Minds, Amazing Spirits!


--by hasifa, posted Jan 26, 2012

Yesterday I went to the nursing home to visit my step mom’s grandma. 

She just got out of the hospital recently where she underwent some serious operations. I wanted to surprise her after work so I stopped by for a quick visit. 
 
When I got there she was happy to see me. We hugged, kissed and exchanged greetings. Then I heard a woman crying. It was my great grandma’s roommate. The curtain was drawn so I could not see her. She started calling out a name that wasn't mine but she was definitely talking to me, begging me to go to her side of the room. 
 
I ignored her at first and continued visiting with my great grandma. Then she started begging and saying, “Please, come see me!" So I went to see her.
 
When I drew the curtain back she looked so old and frail but flashed me the biggest smile! She opened her arms wide for me to hug her so I bent low and gave her a hug. She held me so tight and would not let go. I had to force myself to pull away from her and I hated doing it. I sat on her bed and talked with her for a few minutes.  She kept calling me by the other name but I did not correct her. She told me stories like I had been there when they happened. 
 
Eventually I went back to visit with my great grandma. Then the other woman started crying again, saying, “Please, come back." She eventually dozed and when she woke up again she said some of the most beautiful and heartwarming prayers I have ever heard. My great grandma told me how they prayed together at night. 
 
I stopped by the nurse’s station and the nurse told me that the lady suffers from Alzheimer's, otherwise known as dementia. I mentioned the name she had called me. The nurse told me it was the lady’s daughter’s name. Then I understood why she wanted me to go visit with her. 
 
It was a heart-breaking experience but it gave me a new perspective on life.
 
We will all get old someday. Some of us will have broken minds like my great grandma’s roommate and some of us will have broken bodies like my great grandma. But what was beautiful was the fact that both ladies, one 86 and the other 90, did not have broken spirits.  
 
As I was leaving I promised I would go back and visit the lady, even after my great grandma moves back to her home state.

 

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Readers Comments

steve wrote: Hi,
I think it is wonderful that you visited your grandma in the nursing home and then you visited another "widow in distress".

My wife robyn and i work with persons who have broken minds (mental illness) and they have few people who visit them in the psychiatric hospital.

Please pray for our heartfelt counseling minisries.

Steve bloem
Coauthor of broken minds hope for healing when you feel like you're losing it.
luv4all wrote: Hello,


I think sickness needs company most importantly. It becomes depressing. I was glad your grandma has a roomie and they are able to interact inspite of their age and condition.

May god bless both of them and other residents of hospitals and visitors like yourself.

Hope you and others shall visit more hospital and old age residents and share their loneliness.

It is much needed, i think.
Nat wrote: That's what life is all about, it not all about us!
Louis Metayer wrote: Your kind gesture speaks for itself ; it needs to be savored, meditated and emulated upon! Thank you
mamle wrote: Thank you for sharing your kind act. Many blessings for such an inspirational gesture.
Catherine W wrote: A revealing commentary on loving one's neighbor in the truest sense. Blessings to you for the kindness you have shown; you will receive the blessing back tenfold.
kasaya wrote: So touching be blessed so inspiring both to the young and old
Cornelius Bakas wrote: I'm blessed with this story! Thanks for sharing!
IamOne wrote: Last night i was heading home from work when a man called out to me. "please sir, i'm really sorry, but can you help me? " he smelled of booze and looked as though he was perhaps panhandling. I stopped none-the-less and it turned out he had recently gone mostly blind. He just needed help finding his way to a train platform so he could get home. I walked with him, and waited until the corect train arrived. We talked about his life before he was blind, about my family, and about many other things in the 20 minutes or so that we shared. I could feel the sorrow this man had, but he expressed deep gratitude ass he stepped onto the train. Truly, some of lifes most tender and rewarding moments come in pieces that could so easily be missed if we aren't looking to help wherever there might be a need.
zaini wrote: inspirational story

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