As a little girl, Etta ALWAYS had treats to offer! I remember candy jars and dishes filled with colorful ribbon candies, countertops adorned with delectable baked goods, and little scalloped edge butter cookies.
Some things just never change! Now, when my children come to visit their great-grandmother in the nursing home, she STILL has treats to share. You see, everyday, Etta is given an afternoon snack. She likes the same thing everyday and so that is what I order for her. Once she is tired of that selection, I change her order with the dietary department to something new and so on. Her most recent request has been to change her afternoon snack to potato chips and ginger ale. Turns out, she really doesn’t want the chips most days. However, I think she quickly realized this is the one snack she can “stock pile” that won't spoil hidden in a drawer (like a sandwich or yogurt). And so, she graciously accepts her can of soda and chips. The soda is sipped on throughout the afternoon and the chips are placed in a drawer, hidden under some scarves.
Then, when the children visit, she is always happy to reveal her hidden
treasures and offer them to the children. During one visit, Hailey thought it
would be ok to help herself to a bag of chips. This did not bode well with Etta.
Not because she didn’t want Hailey to have them, but rather, she wanted the
satisfaction of presenting the snack to her…much like that of a priceless
treasure! It may just be a snack bag of chips, but for someone who has very
little possessions, very little control, and very limited capacity, it’s a
generous gesture flowing from a thoughtful heart.
Some things just never change! Now, when my children come to visit their great-grandmother in the nursing home, she STILL has treats to share. You see, everyday, Etta is given an afternoon snack. She likes the same thing everyday and so that is what I order for her. Once she is tired of that selection, I change her order with the dietary department to something new and so on. Her most recent request has been to change her afternoon snack to potato chips and ginger ale. Turns out, she really doesn’t want the chips most days. However, I think she quickly realized this is the one snack she can “stock pile” that won't spoil hidden in a drawer (like a sandwich or yogurt). And so, she graciously accepts her can of soda and chips. The soda is sipped on throughout the afternoon and the chips are placed in a drawer, hidden under some scarves.
Then, when the children visit, she is always happy to reveal her hidden
treasures and offer them to the children. During one visit, Hailey thought it
would be ok to help herself to a bag of chips. This did not bode well with Etta.
Not because she didn’t want Hailey to have them, but rather, she wanted the
satisfaction of presenting the snack to her…much like that of a priceless
treasure! It may just be a snack bag of chips, but for someone who has very
little possessions, very little control, and very limited capacity, it’s a
generous gesture flowing from a thoughtful heart.