Chronicles of Living. Ruth❤

Miss Ruth. On my first shift at the keys facility I knocked and entered the room of Ruth. She was lying in her bed and I had her medicine ready in a cup. She looked at me and asked "can you get one of the aides to help me to the commode?". I answered "oh, I'm right here, I'll help you.". She insisted I get assistance, I insisted not to. She shook her head at me and said I reminded her of someone, but graciously allowed me to help her. Now I'll admit, it wasn't easy, I hadnt realized how much assistance she needed but thank goodness she was tiny and she tried with all her might to help me, help her. We were immediately drawn to eachother. She was also from New York and enjoyed the Florida sun. She also was a nurse. She had a family two sons I think maybe a daughter, but might've been a daughter in law. The nurses aides told me that she used to ask to go outside everyday in her bucket cap and about 35 blankets so she could stay warm. **** Keep in mind this is in the Florida Keys... but also like me, Ruth was always chilly. But she hadn't gone out for over a month. Ruth was getting physically weaker, and either didn't want to be a bother, or just didn't have the energy to muster the journey 25 feet. She'd sit near her window instead.... but not even that anymore. She'd always grab my hand and tap it, after any task i performed, even if just handing her her meds, and say "Thank you, lovey". I'd thank her back for being awesome. One morning I entered her room and she was smiling from ear to ear. I pranced in and said "Hey Miss Ruth!!!". She said "today's a good day!". I then said "Hey what do you say, we go outside today?!" .... her response was "Splendid idea lovey!!!" So just like that I gathered up one of my favorite assistants Drucilia. We got the comfiest wheelchairs,padded it with pillows, dressed her in her knickers and blouse, gathered 35 blankets and her awesome bucket hat. We brought her to the terrace, where the other residents sat drinking their morning coffee. They were all jubilant, even Mary, whom jubilation was a conundrum. "Hey Miss Ruth,so wonderful to see you out here today, isn't it just beautiful outside?!?" She graciously nodded and sat with the sun beaming on her face for 5 minutes. 5 minutes.... but it was so worth every second of that 45 minutes it took to get her there. The next day we called in her family. Ruth wasn't waking up much that day.... her vitals were dropping and she was dying. Like any nurse, Ruth had a do not resuscitate order. Her family sat at her bedside 

as she passed. I went in to offer my condolences, and her daughter (or daughter inlaw) stood up hugged me and said Drucila had told them how I insisted on getting Ruth outside to her favorite spot, in the sunlight yesterday. I began to cry... like almost full on ugly cry, they were consoling me. I told them how I adored her, how Morris, the facility's cat, a Hemingway 25lb kitty, loved to nap with her, when he wasn't busy being a jerk laying on my charts while I was documenting. And they chuckled.... ok laughed really hard. I laughed too, but no clue what the joke was. Her son said "mom was allergic to cats and didnt really didn't like them. she told us once that he'd come in, but she couldn't turn him away because he needed a warm place to sleep." They'd suggest that she close her door or ask the nurses to remove him. She'd say "nah he's ok. Plus he killed a scorpion the other night the size of my fist, he's earned his spot." That night I knew I loved this woman and this made me see one more reason why. But more was coming. They told me of how when her husband had passed away she was in her 50s and decided to start school for nursing. She had to take several trains from Bedford Sty every day to achieve her dream, which she finally accomplished at 59. Most nurses are looking foward to nearing retirement at that age, she looked ahead to starting her 20 year career, to start. She didn't need the money her husband provided well for her, she wanted to take care of and help others. She was a tough lady with a heart of gold and hands and feet of icicles. She gave true meaning to "cold hands warm heart", which incidentally she said to me every time she held and patted my frozen cold hands. Happy Thanksgiving Ruth. Eat some turkey and quit taking care of everyone in heaven for a minute . 🦃🍗you deserve a day off.