Thanksgiving

Over the summer I used to work in a nursing home. Most of the residents have basically been abandoned. They rarely had a family member come visit let alone even a phone call. Seeing the sorrow in some of their eyes makes me afraid to get old. My grandmother recently became ill with Shingles. The main part of the disease is over, but she now has debilitating pain that is preventing her from being able to take care of herself. Before any of us realized how bad the situation was, she had lost 15 pounds and her kidney function was deteriorating from the lack of nutrition in her body. 15 pounds doesn't seem like much, but to a 100 pound lady, that's quite a bit. Knowing that she needed help, we of course hired a nurse to come in daily to ensure that she is getting the care she needs. My family has also made a rotation of visits so that she knows she is not being abandoned during such a hard time for her. I am going out there during my fall break. I talked to her today to tell her my plans and she was so excited, but all i can think about is the thousands of grandparents in our world that are forgotten and do not have a family that is willing to make that extra effort to show their compassion. So this Thanksgiving, I am thankful to be a part of a family that stands by one another, and will always be there.