My 21 year old son Max has a cool summer job. He’s working as the Recreation “Guy” at our small town seniors’ lodge and he loves it.
A couple of weeks after he started, Mother’s Day was upon us and a Tea at the lodge ensued. He dressed up in his finery complete with a bow tie and just happened to be standing by the entryway when an elderly cousin of ours, walked into the building, towards the gathering area and assumed Max was there to seat her. He immediately held out his arm and lead her to her table, which caused the other ladies to assume that he was there to do that for them too. And so, of course, he did. One by one he escorted each lady to their table and then helped serve tea. There are about 58 ladies in our local lodge and they were delighted. But more importantly, so was he. The Monday following that event, he mentioned to his supervisor that he really wanted to do something special for the fellas that lived in the lodge, for Father’s Day. They started to brainstorm when his supervisor mentioned that maybe they should take the guys to the local pub for beer and wings. Max was thrilled and added that he would find some men in town that he knew of that had vintage vehicles to come up to the lodge, pick up the gentlemen and then head to the pub. I was in awe and Max came home so satisfied that the few men that resided there, I think 14, enjoyed their celebration.
Fast forward to yesterday, July 4th, a male resident died. Overnight. In his sleep. Max came home from work last night in such a funk and I knew something was wrong. It’s hard to make relationships and then lose them so quickly and Max is in an industry where he is going to experience this. He began to tell me about this man…
Clifford was quiet. He mostly operated in a solitary manner. He didn’t have a television, nor radio, but he did read. He didn’t take part in any of the activities that were offered at the lodge. However, after the Mother’s Day Tea, Max noticed that Clifford had yet to receive any visitors and he asked him if he had any children. Clifford said that he had a son but that his son was very busy and would probably not be around on Father’s Day weekend. When the plans were in place for the Father’s Day event, Max encouraged Clifford to join a good friend of ours in an old fixed-up 1948 Fargo truck and to head to the pub for wings. Clifford came out of his shell and talked and talked and talked. He ordered a beer and enjoyed a few wings but most of all he loved the old truck and the camaraderie.
Clifford was quiet. He mostly operated in a solitary manner. He didn’t have a television, nor radio, but he did read. He didn’t take part in any of the activities that were offered at the lodge. However, after the Mother’s Day Tea, Max noticed that Clifford had yet to receive any visitors and he asked him if he had any children. Clifford said that he had a son but that his son was very busy and would probably not be around on Father’s Day weekend. When the plans were in place for the Father’s Day event, Max encouraged Clifford to join a good friend of ours in an old fixed-up 1948 Fargo truck and to head to the pub for wings. Clifford came out of his shell and talked and talked and talked. He ordered a beer and enjoyed a few wings but most of all he loved the old truck and the camaraderie.
I hope that Max knows just how important this summer job is.
I do.
I do.
~ Ellyn
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