Reality

Dad had a bad Saturday a couple of weeks ago. When I arrived that Saturday afternoon, he was trying desperately to communicate to us that the staff had left him in bed all day. He was NOT happy! I decided to "drop in" on Sunday morning since I usually go to church. Just wanted to keep the nursing home on their toes, never knowing what to expect. I walked down the hall to check Daddy's room and his bed was made but he wasn't there. I figured he was in the dining hall and went to check on him there. When I turned the corner, I saw my dad, among many other residents, trying to feed himself with an adult bib on. It took my breath away. I had to stop and take a moment to think about what I was watching. What had brought us to this point? Why was my Daddy in a circle of people who were in such bad shape? How had all of this become so bad? What was he thinking? Even now as I type this I can see so clearly what I saw that morning. It was heartbreaking! The worst part was that many of those other residents were better off than my Daddy. I walked over to help him finish his meal and as soon as I could, rolled him back to his room. As I left that day, I cried all the way home. I cried off and on that entire day. I had seen him much worse than this when he was hospitalized but this particular day CBGD became a Reality.