Glory | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: Glory | Previous Challenge Entry
By Ellen Janson
03/08/23
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Glory

The bed felt so empty. Their feet used to touch - sole to sole like two hands together in prayer. John would even let her squeeze her feet in between the warm skin of his legs. Oh he would moan about how cold they were, but he would always let them stay there anyway. Now she had a hard time staying warm in their bed no matter how high she turned up the heat or how many blankets she added to their bed.

Beth’s husband of 60 years had Alzheimer’s. Their seven kids had said it was best if they separated because “dad needs more care”. She reluctantly agreed - he was wandering off sometimes, and it was getting very hard to live with him. Now she didn’t know how to live without him.

She tried to continue putting one foot in front of the other, but life felt as empty as her bed. “Oh, Lord, I don’t know how much longer I can go on. The loneliness is just too much. Can’t you just take me?” Nighttime and morning when she woke up alone were the hardest. I will be your husband.

She forced herself out of bed for the “appointment” she had that day. Her daughter, Sarah, was coming to take her to visit John. Beth supposed she should be looking forward to this, but visiting her husband was getting more and more difficult. He didn’t recognize her anymore; his eyes looked empty…as if nothing was there. She wondered if his soul had already left his body. And her daughter Sarah was wonderful, but Beth couldn’t share so many things that she used to share with John; Sarah was from a different time period and often didn’t understand her references. I will be your friend.

When they arrived at the memory care facility, Sarah kissed her father “hello”, made some small talk and then stepped out of the room to give her parents some privacy. Beth tried to talk to John like old times - about the latest news on their children, friends and the world at large - but mostly she felt like she was talking to herself. She tried playing songs they used to listen to, but John didn’t seem to recognize them. The music only brought pain - reminding Beth of times past when she and John laughed as they danced arm in arm in the kitchen - or wherever it struck them.

Tears began to form, threatening to roll beyond her lower eyelids, when one of the staff walked in, and “caught” Beth in all of her sorrow.
“Oh, honey-child, I’m so sorry you’re going through this.” She paused. “Do you know Jesus?”
Beth nodded that yes, she did.
“He’s going to be enough for you. He’s going to be your husband and your friend. You’ll always have all these beautiful memories that you and your husband made together. God gave you those. All those children and grandchildren…my goodness, what a life you’ve had! Jesus has been right beside you during all of those good times. He’s not going to abandon you now. He’s right beside you during these hard times too.”

Beth dried her tears and thanked the woman, noting the name ‘Glory’ on her name tag. She left feeling so much better than she had this morning. Glory was right - she had so much to be thankful for. God loved her and He still held her life in His hands. She went out to lunch with her daughter, laughed with her about something one of her grandchildren had said and created more memories.

A couple of days later, Beth went again to visit her husband. She asked at the receptionist’s desk if Glory was working that day.
“Who?” The receptionist asked.
“Glory. The beautiful young lady with a mass of dark hair piled up on her head. She helped me so much the other day, and I just want to tell her thank you.”
The receptionist gave Beth a confused look “Mam, are you sure about the name?”
“Yes…positive…I saw it on her name tag.”
“Our employees don’t wear name tags…we want it to feel like home to the residents. I’ve been here for 17 years. I know almost everyone who works here and practically who’s ever worked here. I don’t ever remember having employed a “Glory”.

“Oh, Lord, you are so kind to me,” Beth said to herself as she practically skipped to her husband’s room. Jesus was enough.

Fiction

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