Last night as I was closing my front window around midnight, I saw my neighbour Margaret exiting a cab. She saw me at my window and asked if I could help her in relation to her neighbour Thomas.
She had earlier in the day taken Thomas by ambulance to hospital. Margaret had known Thomas for 8 years but when she visited him at his home earlier to check on him, as she usually did from time to time, he didn’t recognise her at all. He was also bruised and extremely disoriented. Doctors had asked her to check Thomas' home for medication and she didn’t feel comfortable going through his things alone - that’s why she asked for my assistance.
Thomas is 84 years old, has no partner, children or family and his four best friends all died last year. Margaret and another neighbour, who had recently moved to Los Angeles, were all he had.
Margaret has all the concerns and stresses of raising her own family and running a business and yet she still stayed with him at the hospital for five hours. Today she would make the calls to find any connections to Thomas, she would visit him in hospital because she knew he would be frightened to be there alone. She is stressed about how she is going to manage it all and yet she will continue to pursue this matter until she is sure Thomas and his affairs are being looked after well.
Margaret is a kind person, she is a good person.
Perhaps one of people’s greatest fears is to grow old alone and have no one. I know it’s one of mine. Lord willing, I hope and plan for that never to happen to me. And if it does, I hope a Margaret is my neighbour.
In the meantime I will remember to show kindness - a ‘Good morning’, and ‘Hello’, ask ‘Are you alright?’ to the people I pass or get to know - and when I am presented with the opportunity to be a Margaret for someone else, I hope to make her proud.
On a different note, Reverend John will be on leave from Thursday for 5 weeks and travelling Asia with his lovely Wife Jane. We wish them a wonderful time and safe journey, and look forward to hearing about their adventures when they return on March 7th.
Cheers
Liana,
CEO Chapel by the Sea Mission
[email protected]
*Names have been changed for privacy.
She had earlier in the day taken Thomas by ambulance to hospital. Margaret had known Thomas for 8 years but when she visited him at his home earlier to check on him, as she usually did from time to time, he didn’t recognise her at all. He was also bruised and extremely disoriented. Doctors had asked her to check Thomas' home for medication and she didn’t feel comfortable going through his things alone - that’s why she asked for my assistance.
Thomas is 84 years old, has no partner, children or family and his four best friends all died last year. Margaret and another neighbour, who had recently moved to Los Angeles, were all he had.
Margaret has all the concerns and stresses of raising her own family and running a business and yet she still stayed with him at the hospital for five hours. Today she would make the calls to find any connections to Thomas, she would visit him in hospital because she knew he would be frightened to be there alone. She is stressed about how she is going to manage it all and yet she will continue to pursue this matter until she is sure Thomas and his affairs are being looked after well.
Margaret is a kind person, she is a good person.
Perhaps one of people’s greatest fears is to grow old alone and have no one. I know it’s one of mine. Lord willing, I hope and plan for that never to happen to me. And if it does, I hope a Margaret is my neighbour.
In the meantime I will remember to show kindness - a ‘Good morning’, and ‘Hello’, ask ‘Are you alright?’ to the people I pass or get to know - and when I am presented with the opportunity to be a Margaret for someone else, I hope to make her proud.
On a different note, Reverend John will be on leave from Thursday for 5 weeks and travelling Asia with his lovely Wife Jane. We wish them a wonderful time and safe journey, and look forward to hearing about their adventures when they return on March 7th.
Cheers
Liana,
CEO Chapel by the Sea Mission
[email protected]
*Names have been changed for privacy.