Thankful Thursday - Sandra

 Photo by Clipart Library

Some friends are just distant to meet...no matter what.

My friend, Sandra, is one of those friends.  She was here when I came back to the Waters (I went to live at a nursing facility for a while.  When I first got back, she was afraid she'd come between our friend Deborah and me.  Soon we were all thick as thieves.  

In many ways, Sandra and I had more in common than we did with Deborah.  She has CP also.  We just bonded~it's can be very hard to meet other people my age who have CP.

She became the "big sister" I never had.  We took care of each other.  I'm usually the "mother" of friendships I have ~ some of my friends are older than me.

She says I have a low pain reliance because she hit me with the corner of a pizza box and I said it hurt.🤕

She spoils me.  She's my confidant.  She protects me when I get in trouble 👮 (not that I ever get in trouble).

She calms me down when Aella Saudade, comes out in me.

I love her so much!!!

Thankful Thursday ~ Deborah

 

Photo by clipartbeast

On Thankful Thursdays, I'm continuing to talk about the women who have influenced my life and my faith.

Today, I want to tell you about my friend, Deborah.

Deborah was the first friend I made at The Waters.  She sat with me for the first 2 days while I cried.

She introduced me to activities.  She was in there whenever the doors were open; she especially enjoyed the religious programs and BINGO.  Deborah liked to stay busy.

I went to live in another nursing home for about 3 months.  She called me the night her sister (who was her roommate) died,  begging me to come back.  I think it was about a month later when I finally decided to move back.  I ask that Deborah not be told exactly when I was coming so I could surprise her. Her face lit up when she saw me, she was so excited!  We both were!!!

When Deborah and our friend, Sandra became roommates,  I practically lived in their room.  We joked that we got "divorced" at midnight and got "remarried" the next day.

Then...COVID HIT 

We all got COVID, except for 2 residents.  I think about 10 residents died  because of COVID

Deborah got really sick.  The doctors had to put her in an induced coma for a couple of weeks to help her heal.  

She got better and came back to the nursing home, but she was never quite the same.  She would get mad easily and just snap at people. She had been a very easygoing, loving, and forgiving lady and that person was gone.  She was still nice, she was just...different. (I heard that COVID affected many people this way.)

A few months later, her sister took her home to care for her.  3 months later Deborah got pneumonia.  Her lungs were too scarred because of COVID and she ended up passing away.

What I admired most about my friend, Deborah, is she could have fun and enjoy life regardless of what was going on.  She loved GOD and she loved to help people.  She always put others before herself.  She was a genuinely good person and she always made others feel special and loved.  

There is a lady here at The Waters who looks so much like her; they could be identical twins.  When we saw her, another friend and I looked at each other and our jaws dropped, it's uncanny how much she looks like Deborah.

I will always love and miss my friend.

t