His Last Dance

My daughter is doing her nurses training and is doing clinicals at a local hospital.  She has mentioned to me several times about how sad it is that there are so many people who do not have anyone.  Last night, she told me such a sweet story that I started crying. 

She has been taking care of a man in his mid to late eighties and he has no family, no children, no siblings only a close male friend and his son.   They occasional visit but not a lot. The patient told my daughter that he had been married several times but it never worked out.  This man is terminally ill and my daughter said she can tell that he gets anxious.  Wouldn't we all get anxious left alone with our thoughts and no one around who really cared.  He always welcomes company and he just enjoys the presence of a human being with him.  Yesterday, they found a radio for him and when she went in to check on him, there was an old Chet Atkins tune playing.  She was writing in his chart and they were talking and she started tapping her foot while writing.  He told her, "you know, I used to dance and I was a good dancer."  She said, "I bet you were."  The next thing she knew, he shot straight out of bed and took her hand and said, "let's do a little two step."  They danced around the room until the song stopped playing.  I was bawling as she told me the story.  It so surprised her, because he is so sick and weak.

After we talked, I thought about this man all evening.  My heart just went out to him.  Just stop a minute and think about being alone like that with no one.  I can hardly imagine that.  My daughter says the nursing staff doesn't have the time to spend with patients who need just a smiling face and a listening ear.

I have been asking for some time, "what's my purpose now?"  Going to a nursing home or hospital is not what I really had in mind but from the way I felt in my heart, I know my path seems to be leading in that direction.