ElderChicks

Hurricane Sandy has reminded us all about the power of nature. How we respond to losing electrical power challenges our ability to adapt. Candles, flashlights, bottled water, extra food…these are the immediate essentials that we gather. Living without our beloved devices that depend on electricity takes a bit more inner strength. But what about the loss of “power” as we age? Today, I visited an elderly woman, age 93, in a home where she will live for the rest of her life. I visited her with my pet therapy dogs, Gianni and Dante, hoping to bring a bit of joy into her dreary day. After hearing the well-worn anecdotes about her beloved pup, we engaged in a more serious discussion. She is reluctant to share her thoughts with her children as she does not want them to feel guilty for placing her in an “institution”, her term, not mine. She does not want to complain to those who take care of her as she does not want to be known as a “kvetch”, again, her word. She feels powerless. She cannot take care of her basic needs. She cannot choose her food or when to bathe. She cannot choose her friends as most of the residents do not know that they are even there. The only power she has is in her motorized wheelchair in which she rolls down the endless corridors. How does one adapt to this loss of power? How does one meet these challenges? She is powerless…not because the lights went out after a loss of electricity but because the light has been extinguished in her soul. As my dogs licked her frail hand, I think I noticed a spark, a slight flicker in her eyes.