Books by Ian Rogers
Books by Ian Rogers
It’s hard to know what to write this week. Life has been full of its usual ups and downs. Recently I have visited the dentist three times, the GP and had a camera pushed up my nose (I am growing polyps. Possibly the size of the Great Barrier Reef).
The countryside is Spring-beautiful, flowers and blossom everywhere, trees and hedges greening and fields lush. It was even a pleasure to mow my lawn in bright, warm sunshine. I wonder how long either of those will last.
Emotionally it has been a week of mixture and contrasts. Co-incidentally, my wife and my mother have the same April birthday. My wife (who is a complete computer-phobe and hates the very idea of social media) has been ill for 35 years and bed-ridden for 4 (or 5, I lose track). She can’t tolerate loud noises (like the vacuum cleaner), nor read, watch TV of any screen stuff, nor listen to radio. Nor cope with emotional ups and downs, either positive or negative. She only communicates for about an hour at meal times.
What do you get as a birthday gift for someone whose room is already full of plants, soft toys, cards with texts, cards without texts, ornaments and monstrosities? How does one tread the thin line between making the day special and exhausting her? I tried, it worked, we had a good day.
Mid morning I visited Mum – 95 - in her care home. What do you get for someone who is profoundly deaf, has very little mental capacity and who sometimes doesn’t know who you are? New clothes was the answer and she liked them. She had several cards and was pleased even though she didn’t always know who had sent them. The staff were great, giving their own card, a vase of flowers from the garden and a birthday cake later in the day. I’m sure she felt special.
There are unfortunate similarities between my mum’s condition and my wife’s. At least Mum gets dressed and potters about!
Amid all this I am grateful. Grateful to God, to our many friends from church and wider life, and for many blessings. And for the NHS.
<< Next Archive Previous >>