Straight Paths - I’ve Never Been Without Something To Love

I’ve Never Been Without Something To Love

Loren Hardin

For The Ashland Beacon

Daisy enrolled in hospice services when she was ninety years old. Daisy was born in Kentucky, married when she was fifteen and shortly afterward, she and her husband moved to a farm in Pike County, Ohio. Daisy worked as a nurse aide, and her husband owned and operated a small sawmill.  Daisy reflected, “We didn’t have much but I always wanted a real pearl necklace, and my husband sacrificed and bought one for me. I cherished that necklace.”

     Daisy had been widowed for six years and had been living in a nursing home for about a year. As part of my initial social work assessment, I asked Daisy, “Do you have any children?”  Daisy replied, “No, but I’ve never been without something to love.  I’ve always surrounded myself with something to love.  I taught Sunday school for years and I baked muffins for the children every Sunday. The children called me ‘The Muffin Lady’. I loved those little children, and they were always on my lap.  One day a little boy was sitting on my lap and reached up and pulled on my string of pearls and broke them, and the pearls rolled across the floor. One of the ladies at church who knew how much my necklace of pearls meant to me; was surprised when I didn’t get upset. She asked me, ‘Aren’t you mad?’ I told her, ‘No! These little children are my pearls.’”

     When Daisy moved into the nursing home, she characteristically surrounded herself with something to love. The nursing home social worker complimented Daisy, “She is one of our best therapists. She goes from room to room to encourage the other residents and tries to get them involved in the activities.” Daisy explained, “I like to encourage the old people here. Some of them are so depressed and just sit in their rooms. But I’ve gotten a lot of them out of their rooms and involved in activities.” Need I remind you that Daisy is ninety years old?

      When Daisy became confined to her bed, I asked Daisy “Is it hard for you now?” She thought for a moment and then replied, “No, because I have a file of wonderful memories in my mind; and when I start feeling depressed, I just pull out one and live it all over again.”

     We can’t change the past, but we can choose how to spend our present and future. Starting right here, right now, we can choose to surround ourselves with something to love. Better yet, we can choose to love the things that surround us.

     “I have learned, in whatever state I am, therewith to be content.” (Philippians 4: 11)

     “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” (1 Timothy 6: 6-7)

     Loren Hardin was a social worker with Southern Ohio Medical Center Hospice for twenty-nine years. He can be reached at 740.357.6091 or at lorenhardin53@gmail.com. You can order Loren's book, "Straight Paths: Insights for living from those who have finished the course" at Amazon.