Joyce and Lucy Betty McCallister 3/27/10

It was a rainy day and Joyce had many things to accomplish, yet was dreading donning herself with rain gear and heading out the door. She would much rather have stayed put with a hot cup of tea and watch the raindrops out her window. Why rain is a natural weather format and one of God's perfect inventions, yet to Joyce running around in it was awkward and frightening. One would think she would be more accepting of this climate having lived in Oregon for several years. But today was Lucy’s day and that brought a smile to Joyce as she headed out the door. That was something to look forward to.

Her agenda was visiting in home patients with a variety of maladies. She loved her work and trained long and hard to be a physical therapist. She had a healing and caring nature about her since her youth. "Someday, when I grow up", she would tell her mom, "I am going to take care of sick people, they need me." Her mom would smile and say, "that would be wonderful Joyce, I know you would be good at that." So Joyce fulfilled the dream of her youth and for 10 years traveled the highways and byways of her Portland town bringing her kind and gentle spirit to those experiences pain and suffering.

The roads were slick and the windshield wipers were clamoring a mile a minute as she traveled to her first appointment, 82 year old Lucy Burns. Joyce had become so very fond of Lucy and received as much pleasure from their visits as Lucy did. She knew it was dangerous to develop such attachments as she had already experienced the loss of several patients, yet could not help herself. Lucy was special and stole Joyce’s heart from the get go. She was a pleasant lady with a warm character. No complaining, though her life had narrowed in on her. Joyce came to help Lucy use her body muscles that were stiff and achy and needed some tender prodding. She would take a hold of Lucy’s hand and together they would stroll the paths around the garden of Lucy’s townhouse complex, and oh how Lucy loved it. Today there would be no outdoor strolling, which was a little disappointing to both, but instead they would turn the radio on and move to the musical beat as best they could. Back and forth they would sway as laughter took a hold of them. Forty years difference in age did not even enter either’s mind. Joyce did not want to leave when their time was up, and after enjoying that extra cup of tea she longed for earlier in the day along with some good old chatter, but she had another client waiting, not one as pleasant as Lucy, yet one who needed Joyce’s tender caring manner. She bid Lucy farewell with a compassionate hug, opened her umbrella and headed out into the rain, cautious not to slip as she bolted towards her car. She loved Lucy, that is all there was to it. No need denying it, what is, is. Joyce was a big girl, yet she still needed a mother figure, having lost her own at a young age. Lucy filled the void in her heart for a Mom. She envisioned her own mother being the same beautiful lady that Lucy was. After all, visiting Lucy twice a week for seven years created a bond which the two women clung to. They talked about so many things and Joyce learned a great deal from Lucy’s wisdom.

Back in the car, Joyce drove through the raindrops and teardrops to her next patient and was glad to arrive so as not to pine for Lucy any longer and dread the day that she would not open her door and say "welcome dear friend."