Summer. It's over. My update.

Hahaha Oh my Goodness! I haven't blogged in FOREVER! Okay...maybe not that long, but its been awhile for sure.

Summer was great. I got to play with my friends, go on awesome dates, and I worked at a job I loved. Let me tell you a little bit about it.

It's an Alzheimer care unit by Lone Peak High School. We only ever had about 8 residents, but I fell in love with each of them and will never forget them! Some days were crazy when I would get hit, threatened with phone calls to the police or hitting, complete nervous breakdowns, and wiggle worms. Some days were more lackadaisical when everyone was calm and happy and the only action I saw was a resident trying to feed her baby doll some of her ice cream. I switched off between Night shift and Swing shift. On swing, I really got to know the residents. Nighttime shifts were always a mystery, but usually not too bad.

One of my favorite residents was named Bill. He passed away mid-summer. It was hard to watch him go downhill. When he was still independent, he would wake up about an hour before my shift was over and just sit with me while I folded laundry. Every morning he told me what a beautiful smile I had. I was the luckiest girl in the world.

I have to say, working in nursing homes and assisted living centers has been a very spiritual experience. Most people think about life, and the miracle of birth, and how beautiful it is. Death is saddening. I am here with good news. Death is not sad. It is its own miracle and it is beautiful. Nothing has strengthened my testimony more than feeling the times when the veil has been so thin that I have felt angels by my side welcoming my newly-made and sadly short-lasted friends. I cannot express the things I have felt whilst dealing with those who have one foot on the other side of this life; it is a spiritual experience. We miss the ones we love, but really, they have not gone far.

In my next update, I will tell you about the fun times I had this summer outside of geriatrics. I went to California in June, I had a temple marathon day (6 temples in one day! Right here in northern UT). My birthday, river rafting, and Harry Potter 7.2. Then back to school, but that will be another post entirely! All my love to everyone!

Mary