Today is the Day

  Mathilde(family friend),Lise(daughter) Gibson(great-grandson), Heather(daughter-in-law),Pierre(son) 

Mom, Ryland(great-grandson), me-Francine

My Mom tends to have an afternoon nap these days. At 94, she’s allowed!  For some of us, a catnap is just about like heaven itself.  She, however, would prefer a short, sweet visit over a snooze, even though she will quickly forget I was there.  Of course, there are many residents in The Home who would enjoy long visits.  Watching a movie, working on a puzzle, sharing a meal, reading a book out loud, writing out Christmas cards; these are great ways to spend time in one another’s company.  It is a wonderful gift if you can go on a regular, weekly basis- same day, same time, same place. 

Seriously, there is no time like the present to visit someone in The Home.  As to the question of ‘when:’ Are you the principle caregiver?  Ask staff.  A friend?  Ask family.  A volunteer?  Ask recreation staff.  Someone, somewhere, will direct you.  One lady I know has a note by her bed: “If you are a visitor, PLEASE wake me up!” 

I can’t help but think that the everlasting God, (Psalm 90:2), the Author of time, is saying: ‘Wake up!’ “Today is the day of salvation,” says 2 Corinthians 6:2.  Jesus stepped in at just the right time, (Galatians 4:4) to give us enough time to be prepared for eternity.  He said: “I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father, except through me” (John 14:6).  Today, we have enough time to turn from sin, whereby we can love God, and enjoy Him forever.  Today, we have time to love people - made in His image, created for eternity.

Is it true that the older you get, the faster time slips away?  If so, we’ve only got a few short years with our loved ones in The Home, and soon enough, eternity will arrive and time will be no more.