Altered chapters

Life isn't always easy. There's the good and the bad. There's the up and the down. Although we do not have control of all factors in our life there are many aspects in which we do. Sometimes the final destination point and detours along the way are our own doing and attributed to nothing less than negligence and poor decision making. This week was a perfect example of that within my own family. 

My mom and I travelled to Bayonne and transported my aunt, my mom's sister, from Bayonne Hospital to an assisted living facility in Virginia. For as long as I can remember my aunt has neglected to seek medical assistance for even the most basic of things out of fear of knowing the unknown. Basic medical assistance that was neglected over a long period of time snow balled into our present day dilemmas with her. 

She is fifty eight years old and is unable to take care of herself. For years we urged her to attend to the little issues and ultimately pleaded for medical intervention later down the road. It wasn't until we had no other choice but to remove her from the hospital and physically transport her to a facility close to my parents. 

My heart aches for my aunt. It is my prayer that she will one day return, both mentally and physically, to who she once was. It is my hope she will regain a quality of life. On the other hand, I struggle with anger and frustration at how absolutely avoidable all of this heartache, frustration and stress really was. The stress this has caused to my mom, in particular, is unfair. For the unforeseeable future she is saddled with daily treks to visit her sister, monitoring her medical progress, attending to her finances along with a million other tasks that will be on her plate. It isn't fair. The present cannot be altered and we are anticipating a long haul ahead. But I am grateful that Judy is close to my parents and that she knows that we are rooting for her and that we are hoping for the absolute best outcome possible. 

At Judy's new place we have met many friendly residents who have really gone out of their way to try and make her feel at home. Southern charm and hospitality sure does go a long way. But as we are beginning to know some of her neighbors my heart is sad for the many lovely older people who have such minimal contact with their family members. I do not know their stories. I do not know the roads that were taken through their lives, but a sadness overcomes me thinking that so many elderly in our society who have been forgotten or put to the way side. 

As Tristan and Gabe stop in for a short visit I am amazed at the joy and smiles their presence brings to all they come in contact with. I think their visits will not only be good for the older people, but also for Tristan and Gabe to realize how precious life is and that there is no age limit when it comes to touching someone's heart. Blessings and joy can come from bumpy roads and high stress zones. I have confidence that goodness can come out of this as well as some pretty powerful lessons about life. 

As the road leads me back to Jersey late Tuesday I will continue to pray for my aunt and all my familia on Faith Farm....