Tenderhearted Companion

I met a friend for breakfast.
She is a precious friend who has six children.
We knew each other from church years ago.
She is dear to me for a very special reason.

When I took care of my aunt, it was determined that she could no longer live alone.
She had a lovely apartment near the Art Museum in Philadelphia.
She was a career woman her entire life.
She never married.

Running into the city to clean her apartment and bring her groceries was my privilege.
With five children of my own, I was doing double duty.
Our house needed cleaning and our groceries needed to be bought.
I needed to balance my own family’s needs and the needs of my aunt.

My aunt had major heart problems that put her into the hospital.
The doctor would not release her unless I found a place for her to go.
She could no longer live alone, even with me running into the city to care for her.
I did not know what to do.

I prayed so hard since my aunt never wanted to go into a nursing home.
I knew that the kind of care she needed was care that I could not adequately give her.
I looked at so many places and called so many others.
None were to my liking and if I did like them, they did not have any availability.

I was almost to the deadline given to me.
At the eleventh hour, the phone rang and it was one of the nicer facilities.
They had a room and could accept my aunt in the next few days.
The location was near my home so I would no longer have to drive into the city.

My aunt was moved there and she thrived.
Though not at first.
At first she was angry that she was not home.
My heart hurt because I truly understood.

Soon, my aunt discovered that there was singing in one of the large sunny rooms.
She discovered that she could eat with some of her friends.
She always had a story or two to tell me.
I noticed that in her stories, her feisty spirit was back.

This precious friend of mine knew that my aunt had been moved and was living near me.
If you ever would like me to visit with her, I would love to do that, she said.
She told me how she loves to visit with older people.
She had worked for an agency at one time and was assigned various people to help.

The people soon became friends.
She grew very fond of them.
She took them to their doctor’s appointments.
She wold visit with them and talk to them.

I love doing this until I lose them, then it gets very hard, she said with sadness.
She was a companion to a few older people for years.
Eventually death due to age or illness took the older people from her.
When they died, she would grieve but then she would begin again.

How do you do it? I asked her, really wanting to know.
I really love these people; they are like family to me, she explained.
These words came from a woman with a husband and six children of her own.
She has such a tender heart; she is a gift to all that know her.

A dear friend of mine, and her sister, contacted me through email.
They wanted to know if I knew of anyone who could help with their aunt.
They were offering the job to someone who would take her to her doctor’s appointments.
They wanted someone who would be nearby since they both live in Virginia.

I knew just the person.
I could vouch for her character.
I knew how she tended to my aunt.
My aunt was not a job to her; she just wanted to do it in order to lighten my load a bit.

I gave my friend and her sister the contact information of the tenderhearted woman.
That was three years ago.
My friend is still visiting Aunt G all these years later.
She is still driving her to her doctor’s appointments.

Today after my friend and I had breakfast, we visited Aunt G.
I remember her well from my growing up years.
I wondered if she would remember me.
I was just a young girl when she saw me last.

My friend told me as we walked into the building , Aunt G is as smart as a tack.
It’s just her body that is not cooperating, she said sadly.
Her memory is amazing, she informed me; she will remember you.
I wasn’t so sure.

I walked in carrying a small plant for her room.
She is living in the same location where my aunt lived all those years ago.
However, since my aunt died, the facility built a beautiful Villa for assisted living.
Each resident has their own apartment-like room with their own furniture.

We signed in and my friend got a visitor’s badge for us.
We walked to Aunt G’s room.
There she was, a face from my past.
She still had the same hair style, only now her hair is gray.

She was smaller than I remember but then I grew since I was a girl.
My friend said, Look who I brought with me!
She searched my face and smiled; I know you! She said and meant it.
It is Regina, Aunt G, I said and I saw the light bulb go on.

Little Regina from down the street! She said excitedly.
Well, little Regina is now 5’10” tall and has grown a bit, I said giving her a hug.
We talked and reminisced.
She remembered where all the neighbors lived better than I did.

It was a delightful morning.
I met a bit of my past face to face.
Aunt G bridged a gap between now and then.
I was grateful.

Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life. (Proverbs 16:31)

Aunt G was wearing a crown of splendor for a life of 93 years well lived.
My tenderhearted friend loves to be a companion to these older people God puts in her life.
She has such a tender way with them.
She is a blessing to them.

She will be the first to admit that she is blessed by them.
They trust her, as they should.
I should know; my own aunt cared for her very much.
My friend has only one regret where my aunt is concerned.

I never got to tell her that I was pregnant again, she said wistfully.
I remember that was so hard for her.
My aunt was very pro-life and would have rejoiced at her wonderful news.
My aunt died before my friend had a chance to tell her she was carrying another child.

That still hurts her heart all these years later.
To have that kind of love and compassion is a gift.
To lighten the load for someone else is such a blessing to them.
To enjoy being the friend and companion of someone who can never really repay you is grace.

Amazing grace.
Grace is what we have been given by our Lord Jesus.
Grace is what we are to extend to others.
My tenderhearted friend does that so well.

Just ask Aunt G.