Tuesday 16 June 2009

Little Things

My Grandmother asked to see me. It's been some time since I had visited. She's pretty much been off her rocker of late so I've been told. She had let her kids know that they'd be going to H.E.Double Hockey Sticks because.....well, no reason, they just were. She informed my parents that she wanted to die but "The Old Guy" didn't want her so she's stuck here. She still throws things, swears like a sailor (I have never in my whole life heard so much as mild curse pass her lips) and runs people down with her walker. They restrained her with a body restraint and a tray on her chair and she managed to untie the restraints from behind the chair. The next time she found scissors and cut her way out. Another time after they had removed all scissors from her room, she was found sawing away at the straps with a nail file, crafty devil that she is!

I must admit that I proceeded to the home with great trepidation. I didn't want to see her this way or possibly be in the line of fire. I certainly didn't want the curse of H.E.Double Hockey Sticks put upon me.

I found her sitting quietly in the activity room with about 20 others listening to an entertainer with a guitar playing a variety of songs, many of which were Elvis songs.

She was very pleased to see me and once I settled on the floor beside her she started singing along to an Elvis tune. I never knew my little French Canadian Grandma was a connoisseur of Elvis. She knew each and every word. I don't know why I'm suprised though. She was rockin' to Billy Idol in the car with me one day.

Sitting there with the crazy old people made me remember why I enjoyed them so much when I was working the Family Medicine unit in the hospital. One lady was flirting with the entertainer and flaunting her sexuality, another was correcting his mistakes. One man just about tackled the nurse when he came in with the icecream. Another was visibly excited just to get juice. You know....sometimes you just have to appreciate the little things in life. They help us to remember that.

I have to say that's the best afternoon I've had in a long time.

3 comments:

Serena Lewis said...

I'm so glad your visit with your Grandma went well....had a giggle at your descriptions of her escapades. lol I so agree that we should appreciate the little things....children often remind us of this too. Lovely post ~ :)

Kurt said...

All I need now are some little things.

Bella Rum said...

Life does get reduced down to the essentials eventually. Music seems to be one of the things we still appreciate to the very end. Loved you're descriptions of your grandmother trying to escape and running down people with her walker. Quite an image.