The Waiters

A big 'thank you' goes out to 'Stache this weekend. He is a pretty amazing guy. Be sure to tell him that to his face if you see him; he LOVES being told how sweet and kind he is! :-) After a great talk last weekend, he inspired me to get back into some volunteer work - and include Platinum in it! She is at a great age to comprehend the value in helping others, to understand how much exists beyond her own world. Her open and outgoing nature makes her a great candidate for serving others in some capacity; which is exactly what we did on Saturday.

Per 'Stache's suggestion, Platinum and I went to a nursing home and delivered balloons. I should have taken my camera along... I had been worried that there would be too much red tape and bureaucracy to wade through before actually being able to implement the plan. Not so. Every place I called was very pleased to hear the idea, and thrilled that we wanted to come by so soon. I called a handful of places in town last week, and we went out on Saturday morning, from about 10:00-12:00. We ended up at one that was centrally located and quite nice. They gave me a list of 15 residents that they knew would most benefit from a surprise visit such as ours. The first few were a little confused about who we were and why we were there. I guess it's not every day that some adorable blond comes in with a handful of colorful helium balloons and asks you what your favorite color is. They kept asking things like "Do you work here? Is it time for my shower? Do I know you?" They were grateful nonetheless, and Platinum was very courteous and patient with them.

...

I know they're adults and all, but honestly, some of them were rather similar to the children I work with. I could tell that their brains were still "them" but their bodies just wouldn't let them act as such. I got a little teary after the first two residents - felt too much like they were simply...

waiting...

...

There were two women near the end of our visit that simply adored Platinum and were just tickled that we were doing this 'just because'. They asked if we would be back again another day, to which I quickly replied "Absolutely!" I meant it. We will definitely be back. Next time, we'll do something less cumbersome than balloons. Perhaps individual flowers, perhaps a story time with Platinum reading aloud to them. We'll think of something, or just consult 'Stache again.



When was the last time you gave of yourself?