Happy Birthday Great-Grandma

What a joy and blessing it was today to take my Grandma out for her 85th Birthday.  I never realized how much I was missing by living away from family.  Daniel and Amani and I treated "Aunt-Grandma" as Daniel calls her (not sure why) and "Grandma Grandma" as Amani called her today, to a wonderful meal of a McChicken sandwich at McDonalds.  The kids gave her their homemade cards and we ate a little store bought cake and it was wonderful! Grandma Green, who doesn't show much emotion, was thrilled - I could really tell in the way she said "Thank you.  It's good to get out."

I can't begin to imagine living in a nursing home.  I used to dread going into them.  I'm not sure why, but I didn't grow up around the elderly as an army brat - so maybe it was the lack of exposure.  Who knows.  Anyway - I had to put on a confident face the many times I took kids groups from church to the nursing homes to minister.  I couldn't let them know how I was feeling.  What's different now?  Well, that's my Grandma in there.  I love her and seeing her getting so old is difficult.  I feel priviledged to be able to spend time w/ both of my Grandma's since moving here.    

My kids LOVE going to see both of their Great-Grandma's and I am SO glad they are learning to love and respect the elderly and not fear them.   We stop and say hi to the men and women lining the halls in their wheelchairs w/ nowhere to go and nothing to do.  Some don't respond, but there is one lady who practically hunts the kids down and we have to escape!  Not kidding!  Daniel and Amani have helped me learn to SEE these people.  After all, they are someone's Grandma, Grandpa, brother, sister, mom, dad, aunt or uncle.  I wouldn't want my Grandma ignored! 

After our birthday lunch, I signed Grandma back into the nursing home.  And I noticed, there were only 4 or 5 names in between hers from last Saturday when she came over for Thanksgiving dinner and today.  That means maybe only 1 resident out of hundreds left the building each day.  My heart broke.  I know a lot of them can't leave.  But are we really that busy?  We walked "Aunt-Grandma" back to her room, hung up the new home- made birthday cards on her wall and said good-bye.  I love you Grandma.  Someday I will be 85 - will I be visited often, or forgotten about?   Maybe I'll have a McChicken sandwich and small coke at McDonald's on my 85th birthday w/ my Granddaughter and her kids.  It'll probably be a lot more than $2.00!