i love my job.

I know you probably get tired of hearing this from me, but I had a really great day at work and just want to share how blessed I feel... especially against the realization of how miserable someone CAN be at work [Bev, Jim], today I was again reminded of how specifically God tailored my job for me.

Today I got to meet for the first time

• the sweetest couple, married 60+ years, who were so appreciative of the help and just joys to visit. To see them interacting, exchanging thoughts and ideas between them without a single word spoken, I knew who I wanted Jim and I to be when we grow up! There she was with her polka dot shirt, bracelets, and hair neatly coiffed and him in his WWII Veterans hat and jeans. She honestly offered me her home delivered meal! I obviously didn't accept it, but her offer was so sincere, I was taken aback!
• An elderly woman who asked if I could get her a lifeline [yes I can]. She loves going out in her yard and working with flowers, but sometimes can't get back up. She doesn't want to stop living her life because she's afraid she can't get up- and that little button around her neck will keep her from having to do so.
• A 93 yo woman who was as sharp as a tack and shockingly matter-of-fact in our conversation- and I LOVED her. I heard about her past, her family, her son who was "a little retarded" (did I mention she was matter-of-fact?), the cabinet she paid about $663 for twenty years ago... a life nearly a century long.
• A woman in her 80s, deaf since birth and initially nearly impossible to understand. A short prayer and I realized... her speech patterns are very much like Zach's, just a lot thicker. It wasn't always easy, but we managed to have a nice visit, and I learned about her 11 brothers and sisters, her family home, her neice... and as I left she said "thank you for listening". Wow.
• A widower living alone out in the country. His wife passed away about five years ago, and we talked about that and what it was like without her. He was pleasant with a great sense of humor. Can't wait to see him again. Brought tears to my eyes as he talked about how much he misses his wife sometimes.
• A woman recently discharged from a nursing home, so happy to be in her own apartment. She told me all about her new church family and the amazing people she had been meeting there. It's great to see hard work pay off, and my mom (the best case manager I know) worked hard to help her get out of the nursing facility.

Yes. Some parts of my job are excessively frustrating... but for the most part there are these amazing people, stuck away in apartments, nursing homes, and country houses, with incredible stories to share and tell... just waiting for someone to listen. And sometimes, I'm lucky enough to be that person.

And I get paid for this? Praise the LORD!