Sunday, February 13, 2011

tough guy

Sunday found me at Mom's nursing home visiting with the residents. My sidekick today was the amazing, famous waving bichon freee-say Sophie.
Remember her CHRISTMAS ANTICS?


She's the BEST nursing home dog...she'll do anything for a treat. Can we say time to diet??  Wave, speak, play dead, shake, sit up....you name it and Soph will do it.  Sometimes she waves out of the kindness of her little white heart, but mostly she waves her paws off for foodical tidbits. The dog loves the nursing home!

enjoying warmer temperatures at the lake last summer

The residents have different reactions to the famous waving bichon.  One nice lady (whose head is always perilously close to dropping into her mashed potatoes) manages to lift her heavy head and smile. Sophie waves. Another resident (who is barely verbal) speaks and wants to pet her. Sophie waves. Another resident gives her a very hearty 'HEL-LO' Sophie waves.

I met a new friend...a resident named 'D'.  D spoke slowly and articulately of his two poodles he dearly loved. Sophie waved. Said his children had to do something with them when he went into the hospital last June. He never had the heart to ask what they did with his two beloved pets and his children never volunteered the information. Sophie waved. I told D he looked too young and healthy to be at the nursing home. He proudly related he was 80 and he had had 15 strokes. (15!!)  He asked if I would visit room 17 whenever I came around with the dogs.

Of course, I will. You must be a some kinda tough guy, D, to have survived 15 strokes!

No, I'm not a tough guy....I have a big God.

Sophie waved. I waved. If you can't find me in Mom's room, look for me in Room 17.

The spirit of Room 17 love to all.

2 comments:

Shrinky said...

Oh, what a heart-warming and moving post. I think we can learn much from your friend in room 17, not to mention from the famous waving Bichon, Sophie!

tattytiara said...

You and Sophie give each other a huge kiss for me. What you do is beyond awesome. It's magnificent.