One Language


A bowl of vegetables with someone you love is better than steak with someone you hate.-Proverbs 15:17 (NLT)


I felt a weird sensation from my toes on my left clog. They remained comfortable as I had been wearing those favorite clogs of mine for many years. But why too comfortable that they didn’t seem to have a hard time wiggling with way extra room?

I stared at my friend and her mom who kept re-orienting her aunt/sister they had not seen in a while when she was moved to a nursing home. It was not because her family left her but because her hard-working son couldn’t care for her with the business that usually got in the way. He loved his mother, my friend’s aunt, that he wanted comfort to always be provided no matter what it would cost.

It was a nice facility. Sort of a rehab unit at the same time as I saw some elderly in the wheelchair, others with cast, being aided with their therapies. My friend’s aunt was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. It was  difficult to communicate for her. She smiled a lot though. Though she didn’t remember her loved ones’ names. It was tough for my friend and her mom to see that her memory was not the same. 

She gave a big smile as my friend and her mom first saw her when the nursing assistant wheeled her out of her room. We brought her to the nice patio for her to get some fresh air from the ocean and a little privacy. How patiently my friend and her mom tried to talk to her no matter if she understood or not! They kissed her at times. Her mom fed her sister’s lunch. She ate all the well-portioned, healthier food in the tray. Sometimes, staring in the space, she would say something that didn’t make sense. Then, she would smile. 

“Let’s go, grab some lunch,” my friend uttered to me. I volunteered to drive that day but she invited me at the same time to go with them, to which I accepted.

“I have something to tell you,” I whispered as I slowly got up and appeared as if I couldn’t walk at all.
My friend’s face had concern, waiting for my words or problems that plagued me that came to her mind.

“Look at this! My shoe has ripped!” I showed her all of my 5 toes on my left foot that came out through the hole that formed from the beloved black clog. She laughed so hard as I joined her.

“I thought there was a big problem,” she said with difficulty as she couldn’t stop laughing.

“See!” 

“It’s good to laugh though it’s a problem for me now,” I replied.

From that moment, we both knew that was a memorable laughter we shared that perhaps, made our bond stronger knowing that in anything we would face, we had the comfort of telling each other without fear of being judged or ridiculed but instead, be able to help and comfort each other, whatever was needed to make the other stronger. 

And that’s our life’s journeys. Full of ups and downs.  I was thankful for the nearby In and Out burger that had a drive-through as I kept my left foot on the car’s floor, ready to step on the brake if needed, despite the hole on my shoe. We ate altogether in that patio. With her aunt’s smile painted on her face as she stared at two strangers’ faces. The last smile she gave as my friend and her mom gave her hugs and kisses when they said their "goodbyes" for that day. I knew... She understood one particular language from them that made her smile:

L…O…V…E…

Love… The universal language that doesn’t need words…The strongest bond that keeps any relationships from breaking apart. No matter what storms of life come. Love that knows when to share laughter or tears…Love that comes from God…Love that transcends...even through death...

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.-John 15:12 (NIV)

13 comments:

  1. First of all, I had to laugh about the clogs. We nurses love our clogs. Even now that I'm working in a school I still wear clogs because they are so comfortable. And I wear them out too.

    I love the song "Friends". The words are so meaningful. Love is something that can be recognized and obviously this aunt did too.

    You are a breath of fresh air to me friend. I'm so glad we can be friends even though we've never met in person ...yet. :)

    Blessings and love,
    Debbie

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  2. Oh how I have missed stopping by! So glad to "reaquaint" myself with you and your blog:-)

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  3. It is hard to give up comfy shoes when they wear out...my toes should be popping through my shoes any time soon :) It is good to laugh together with family and friends..it is easy to do when love is involved. :)

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  4. You make my heart smile, love you.

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  5. what a lovely day it was, with love and kindness in the atmosphere, acceptance and transparency. There is trust, and there is hope for tomorrow. Your story about the ripped clogs made me smile. And the burger made my mouth water. I love hamburgers, especially if it is lamb or angus beef, and grilled, not fried. I often feel that if you and I got together, we would also have many fun things to talk about. We've been reading each other's blogs for several years now!

    I am keeping you in my prayers.

    LOve
    Lidia

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  6. What a fun laugh with friends. You are so right... my high heeled summer flip flops broke the one thong that held my toes in, and yo simply cannot walk. How embarrassing, and I had no friend near by... had to remove one shoe and hobble on the other till I think I inally took he other one off too and went barefooted! :)

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  7. Rosel delightful happiness you shared.

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  8. Came back to give you a hug.....((((Rosel)))

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  9. You are blessed to have a friends like that. We are all blessed to have God-given friendships. Iray I can be that kind of friend.

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  10. loved this Rosel....friends....they're what softens the hardness of the world....they're what makes life grand....

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    Replies
    1. you worded this exactly as I'd been thinking when I read the post.

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  11. Rcubes, thanks for reminding me of the blessings of friendship and how love can always be felt even when the mind may not comprehend.

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  12. In the course of my life I've been blessed with a bounty of friends, and a few enemies. Everything goes better (and is funnier, as you point out) when genuine friends are part of the equation. In fact, I could laugh aloud right now just thinking about some of the whacky & wonderful doings with my BFFs.

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"Faith is taking the first step even if you don't see the whole staircase..."
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

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