Olivia's tragedy....

Once upon a time there was a girl named...*insert random name*...Olivia. Olivia worked very hard at her job day after day. You see, Olivia took care of people...people who could no longer take care of themselves. Well, one day Olivia was given a gift, and the lady she worked for did the unthinkable!

Olivia's client received meals on wheels every day so that she no longer had to worry about cooking for herself. Every day Olivia would watch as her client received food and wished that just one day meals on wheels might have an extra meal for her (so she didn't have to watch her client eat alone, of course!) One day, after months of awkwardly staring at her client eat her food alone, Olivia's wish came true.

The doorbell rang. It was meals on wheels. How exciting thought Olivia's client...lunch had arrived AND it was sweet and sour chicken day, too! Much to Olivia's surprise, the lady bringing the meals carried in one extra meal and asked her if she would like it...for FREE! With much anticipation, I mean heck--it was sweet and sour chicken day! Olivia and her client enthusiastically thanked the meals on wheels lady for their food, and immediately went to the cabinet to open their meals! They awed over how scrumptious the chicken looked with its sweetness and sourness all over it! Olivia was excited to eat the free meal, but before she could indulge herself in its delectable goodness, her phone rang.

Olivia politely excused herself from the kitchen so that she could answer the phone. As she carried on a conversation with the person on the phone, she noticed that her client kept peaking around the corner as is she were trying to see if she was going to get caught doing something. Of course, Olivia didn't think anything of her clients strange behavior. A few minutes passed and Olivia returned to the kitchen. She noticed that her meal was now wrapped in a different bag and tied in a walmart bag. She found this very strange, but did not ask any questions. Her client then told her that she was going to eat her food later that day and that she can go home because she no longer needed her to stay the remainder of the day.

Olivia leaped for joy inside because it meant that she could go home AND eat the FREE sweet and sour chicken! So, she quickly grabbed the newly wrapped food and made her way home. She called her husband to tell him of her excitement in receiving her wish. She finally arrived home and rushed into her kitchen. She untied the plastic bag and opened the Styrofoam container in which was supposed to contain the sweet and sour chicken so kindly given to her, but much to her surprise, the container that she was sooooo looking forward to was no longer...

***pause for dramatic effect**

******You'll have to come back tomorrow to hear the remainder of Olivia's tragedy******

Last day...

Well, today is my last day with my current client.  It's been an amazing journey the past few months.  Sadly her health is deteriorating and her son and daughter in law are coming into town Friday to take her to Louisiana with them.  I'll probably never see her again, and that makes me icredibly sad.

I talked with her yesterday about adoption.  You see, she and her husband didn't have children, so they adopted a baby boy and girl.  We talked for an hour about what it's like to be an adoptive parent.  Even though her mind slips very often, she spoke to me as if she was completely coherent.  Maybe it was the fact that I was talking about my current problems and she understood which in turn helped her remember her past.  I don't know.  All I do know is that it was nice.

I've noticed that ever since I began in home care, the people that God has allowed me to serve all have invested in my life in one way or another.  With my first client, I learned Patients.  My second client taught me perseverance.  Now, this client has taught me that it's okay if I can't produce a child for my husband.  I will still love my adopted child just as much as one of "my own."

I'm so grateful to have been given the opportunity to work with my current client.  We've talked til our ears fell off.  We've shopped together.  We've eaten meals together.  I hope that I have brought joy to her life just like she has to mine.

I'm looking forward to seeing who God places in my life as a new client!