CHARM

Eighty-eight year old “Bobby” has been on hospice for over six months. Bobby suffers from prostate cancer which has spread to his bones. He had been doing pretty well until the past few weeks where he has been in a slow, but steady decline. Each time I visit, he looks a little bit weaker.

Bobby loves to tell stories of his childhood, military years and his career as a beat cop. He has this charming way of spinning a tale which captivates those listening. Add to that, his great sense of humor which always makes a perfect combination. There is always a lot of laughter and storytelling in his home.

Bobby’s daughter, “Brenda”, moved in to help once Bobby could no longer live alone. She is a Catholic nun and has tremendous support from her church and sisterhood community. She inherited her father’s gift of telling stories. The two of them will get going with a story while constantly interrupting each other. It is a joy to witness.

Bobby always makes one feel so special. He acts like your visit is the light in his day. In reality, it is the hospice staff that are blessed with every visit. This past week has been hard on Bobby as he has been so nauseas and unable to keep anything down. When the nurse visited him yesterday, she had him admitted to the hospital for treatment.

The hospice nurse and I visited Bobby today in the hospital. When we first walked into his room, he looked so sick. I immediately became so sad with the reality that his disease was progressing. Bobby heard us walk in and slowly opened his eyes. When he saw who it was, he immediately produced this amazing smile.

The medication had him so drowsy that he would doze on and off during our visit. When Bobby was awake, he would try to talk to us. He was a bit hard to understand because he was pretty weak, but he still had his wit and charm about him. Brenda happened to share an amusing antidote that had happened earlier that morning. The hospice nurse then asked Bobby if he had gotten himself in trouble. Bobby sleepily replied, “Trouble has a way of following me.” His wit and charm continued to shine even in his drowsy state.

I sure would like to believe that he will take his wonderful personality with him wherever he goes. He has left a huge imprint in his life and will be missed by all who have had the honor to have met him.

CHARM

When we stopped in and saw him,
suddenly I became so sad.
He looked so sick.
He looked so vulnerable.

He was sleeping when we walked in,
but slowly he opened his eyes.
When he saw that it was us,
in his typical fashion,
he produced a wonderful smile.

He grabbed a large part of my heart
from the moment I first met him.
His humor, his smile, his charm.
He had me right from the start.

I knew he was in a slow decline.
I have known his time is short.
But with each visit, each change,
he could always snag me
with that captivating charm.

I know I will miss him when he is gone.
He is someone I will never forget.
But I also know that those on the other side
will be just as enthralled
with that huge smile
and his amazing charm.