With Love...I Remember.

"It's not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving. " -Mother Teresa

I quit working at the Humane Society exactly a year ago. I traded in working with animals for working with the elderly. Ever since my grandma had died in 2003, I seemed to have a hole in my heart that needed to discover that love still exists in the world. To do that, I started working at Kingsley Place. Six months after my first day on the job I quit to become a full-time student. I had been in college since two days after graduation and I knew there are just some things in this lifetime you can't learn in a classroom. I traded in my books for life. I remained part-time, but only took one class per semester. Turns out that was the best decision I could've made.

I cried my last day on the job at Kingsley Place. For the first time since my grandma had died, I had found happiness and true meaning from human beings. I had found happiness and true meaning at the Humane Society, but it came from the animals, not the people I worked with and came across. I needed to find happiness and true meaning from people around me. I needed someone to help me realize this world isn't such a bad place afterall. Good news was, I found someone. In fact, I found many people: the residents of Kingsley Place. After quitting work at Kingsley Place, I found myself missing the residents I had come to love and adore so much. So, I returned...This time as a volunteer. (As of right now, I'm actually the only volunteer Kingsley Place has.) I can't even begin to tell you what a sight it was to be welcomed back by the residents. Some couldn't remember my name, but all remembered my face and voice. They remembered the love and care I gave them.

Since joining the Kingsley Place family, a few residents have passed. Most had been expected to pass so saying goodbye wasn't so hard. But...today I got the news I wasn't expecting. Three residents I had come to love so much, and had spent so much time with, passed away.

Mr. Gus Bray passed away on Jan. 6, 2008. Ms. Inez Lambkin passed away on Jan 3, 2008. And last, but far from being the least, Ms. Molly York passed away over my Christmas break (I took two weeks off from volunteering to rest and hang out with my parents).

Mr. Gus was my dominoes partner and a regular Bingo player. He was also the one man I loved seeing every night when I picked up the residents' trash. He was so sweet and loveable. No one could ever hate him or even get mad at him. He was just the kind of guy every girl hopes to fall in love with and marry someday. A true gentleman who always put a smile on my face. You couldn't not smile when Mr. Gus walked in the room. He was my adopted grandpa (even if he didn't know it).

Ms. Molly. "Good golly, Ms. Molly!" The love in my heart I have for that woman is pretty much that of the love I have for my Grammy. Ah. If there's anyone I'm gonna miss the most out of the three it will be her. I loved working for her. She was as honest as they come (she was also as fesity as they come). She had a sense of humor like no other. I loved walking down the hall and looking in her room to see her sitting in her chair sleeping or talking on the phone. Her 90th birthday party last year was the greatest event I've ever witnessed and been a part of. I have so many memories of Ms. Molly, it's not even funny! I have a feeling there's going to be a whole lot of laughter and silliness going on up in Heaven now that she's there. Hopefully, when I'm 90 I'll be as great of a person as she was. She was the true meaning of the word Angel.

Ms. Lambkin. For a lady who was such a big fan of Judge Judy, she sure was nothing like her! Ms. Lambkin was as kind as they come. But, out of the three, she had the most hardships. She was only in her 70's, but had been battling colon cancer for a few years on top of many other health problems. The last memory I have of her is spending time together at the 10th Anniversary party for Kingsley Place. Oh the food we tried! We shared a plate full of shrimp and got our hands on as many desserts as possible. We came to the agreement the cheesecake samplers were our favorites. The cookies came in a close second and the shrimp made the best dinner ever. She always kept me well fed while I worked at Kingsley Place and gave me plenty of good company. I'm not very good at doing hair for people, but she loved how I combed hers. Probably the one thing I'll never really understand considering, I wasn't that great at it. Watching her get sicker, was hard. At the anniversary party she told me she was dying, but I don't like to think like that. So, for my sake I told her, "You never know! You could end up getting better". I really wanted to believe that. She went through more hell in such a short time than most people will go through in a lifetime. Sad part was, she didn't deserve the hell she had. She deserved all the good the world had to give. I knew this day would come for her, but I really am going to miss her. She was the one person I always knew that could make everything seem so much better. I am truly grateful that God took her out of Hell and gave her the eternity in Heaven she so badly derserved. No one deserves Heaven like Ms. Lambkin does.

When you enter the field of assisted living, the first thing they tell you is to not get attached to the residents. What's the first thing you do? You get attached. The residents become your family and friends. You work with them 13 hours a day and then some. They're all you know. You know them better than your own grandparents (some you end up loving more than your own grandparents). No one prepares you for the day, the residents pass on. They can't. The pain and hurt you feel is indescribable. You haven't lived a day until you've lost someone close to you. I've now lost a handful of people I loved and cared for greatly. It's the kind of pain I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. It's the kind of pain no one should ever have to feel.

Through it all, I am very blessed to say I have three new Angels in Heaven. Three Angels who changed my life and world in unimaginable ways. Three angels who will live on in my heart forever and I will tell my future children about someday.

Here's to you: Mr. Gus, Ms. Lambkin, and Ms. Molly. My three newest Angels in Heaven. Rest well. I will see you one day soon. God Bless!