It was Christmas Day and I arrived to provide relief for the regular caregiver for a gentleman who had dementia and other disabilities after a stroke. It would be just the two of us, but I was going to try to make it a special day for him.
It turned out that he made it a special day for me, too. When I came in the door he was sitting in his wheelchair in the living room. A huge smile appeared on his face, his eyes widened and he said, "Kristi! It's you, what a treat." We both started lauphing. It was one of those moments that make caregivers feel so good. He had a lot of memory issues and I was amazed that he remembered me when I hadn't been there for awhile.
I gave him a hug and said, "Merry Christmas, this is a treat for me too. I'm so glad to be spending Christmas with you. What would you like me to cook for a Christmas Dinner?"
I pushed his wheelchair into the kitchen and we made some hot chocolate. The spirit of Christmas, like a miracle, began to fill the house.
Lots of Christmas's are not traditional, and don't resemble the ideals portrayed on television. This gentleman was struggling with his mental and physical situation after a stroke. I lost my husband to cancer, and the holidays are a challenge for me. But, making a difference for others at Christmas makes a difference for me.
As we talked about what to cook I considered the special eating situation. The stroke had caused a swallowing difficulty for this gentleman, and a thickener was added to his fluids.
After a lot of discussion of foods he said, "I want pancakes! That's what I like the best."
I said, "That's great. I love pancakes too. Good idea!"
So pancakes it was, and we had a wonderful Christmas Pancakes Dinner. The difficulties in our lives faded away for awhile, and it was another Christmas miracle.
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