The Ghost of Christmas Past FFF

 

In Sept of 2005, my dad had to move into a nursing home, suffering from advanced Parkinson's Disease and Dementia. He passed away July of 2006. During the year he was there, I spent many hours with him and all the staff and residents around him.

I fell in love with the home and the people. I retired Sept 26 of 2006 and went straight to the home and volunteered myself for 3 mornings a week, 9 to 12.

Christmas of 2006, above, I became Sandra Clause for the home until 2015.

My job was talking  to and loving the residents and also the official photographer for all events.

this included parties and dances and off-site visits to zoos and museums and parks.

I would take photos of the residents, make them into movies on CD's and then on a large screen TV we would all watch them over and over.

In 2007, new to the job of making CD movies, the Administrator said the families wanted copies of all the movies I made. I had no clue how to copy the movies.

Admin said go to room 401, Rich lives there and he will tell you how and might even copy them for you.

That visit to his room changed my life forever.

When I stepped in his room, there he sat, just like this. a twisted body, no movement except in his left arm and his head and of course his MOUTH which matched mine. 

We became Best Friends in that one visit. He not only copied all the movies for me but taught me how to do it and became my Photoshop Professor.  We spent hours and hours together.

It was a total shock to me that he could use a roller ball with only one hand and whip through his computer faster than the speed of light.

He brought laughter and joy to my life and to everyone who lived and worked in the home.

Nothing made him sad. this man who was picked up like a baby each morning and placed in his chair and lifted into bed at night. The aids that took care of him did it for LOVE not money.

Together Rich and I became Team Joy to the residents.

Every trip we took, every party we had, he and I were there together making people laugh.

That year, he invited me to meet him at the SPCA CANINE Festival, and we never missed going until the day he died. 

He left this earth Nov 8th, 2015, and remains in my heart still.

If you have a moment, scroll quickly through this link of my Life with Rich.

Rich could not hold a fork or spoon. He could feed himself at a special table, the height of his mouth. 

We laughed ourselves silly the first time I tried to put the harness on his hand that allowed a fork or spoon to be used to stab or rake food off the plate into his mouth.

I had in on backwards, not once but twice.

When we went out to eat, I fed him like a baby. Nothing bothered him, he laughed and talked and ate and made all the others at the table happy.

He had suffered from his disease his whole life, yet never complained, or whined, he was the most positive person I have ever known.

Christmas is the time of year I miss him most, because he loved Sandra Clause and she loved him.

Rich Rodgers LIFE in a wheelchair. As you scroll, be sure to click Older Post because the oldest are the best... you can see his life in photos, no need to read.

On this the day before the new Year of 2022, I wish all of you

a Year of the same Joy that Rich spread his entire life.

Happy New year from Sandra Clause and Rich of Christmas Past

Joining Yam on Final Friday Fiction, using a True Story