Saturday, May 22, 2004
ANGELS UNAWARE
After a long time they brought John back to the room. He had a patch over his eye and was still pretty groggy from his surgery. They put him in the crib they had prepared but he tumbled around trying to orient himself. He grabbed at the patch and got it off several times until the nurse decided we would have to do something to keep his hands away from his face. I asked if I could hold him on my lap so he could know that I was there. She agreed. I held him quite a while and talked softly until he relaxed and get some sense to what was going on.
The nurse came in and said we should put him back to bed and see how it went with the patch but it started the whole process over. Now he was crying and wanted mama. She said she would have to put ties on his wrists which she would then tie to the crib so he wouldn’t damage his eye. I said I would like to stay a while if it was alright and she nodded saying she would put the ties on when I left. I sat there with my hand through the side of the crib touching him for some time. I stayed as long as I could because I knew it would be almost impossible to leave him. Finally I rang for the nurse and she tied his hands to the rails. He didn’t like it at all and began trying to get loose. The nurse promised she would take them off as soon as he was OK with the patch.
I told them he had just been weaned from nursing and may have problems using the bottle so he wouldn’t hold it and drink like a baby who was used to the bottle. She assured me all would be fine so having done all I could to make it easier for John, I left. It was supper time when I got to Freda’s. She was feeding all the children and the two of us ate after they were finished. Georgie and Becky wanted to know if John had his surgery and if they could go see him. I filled Freda in on my day at the table. We ate alone as George and her husband were both working. After we visited a while I took Georgie and Becky home and George got home sometime towards morning.
They called from the hospital the next day and said I could come and get John. Dr. Eubanks left a prescription for eye drops which were to be put in his eye for several days and then we were to make an office call. His patch was off when I went to pick him up and he was happy to see me. The family was glad to have him home and gave him lots of attention. Soon we would know if he was helped by the procedure.
Our next office visit was quite lengthy as Dr. Eubanks dilated his eye and assessed any improvement. He was very methodical and precise with his investigation. When he was finished he said he wanted to talk with me. As I held John on my lap he said, “I want you to take this little guy home with you and treat him just like the other two children in your family. If he misbehaves give him a spanking. If he deserves praise, give it to him. He already has a big strike against him…..don’t make it worse by spoiling him rotten and making allowances for his handicap. No one likes a child who misbehaves so don’t give him another handicap to overcome.”
I knew he was right and I committed to use his advise from that time on. I asked him how much the “bill” was that we owed and he hesitated for a moment…..then took a piece of paper and wrote $150 on it. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Even in 1957 that was only a token amount for what he had done. I asked what we owed the hospital and he said….”it’s taken care of. You can pay me when you can.” His generosity and kindness were beyond my comprehension. I tried to express my gratitude but my voice betrayed the words I would have said……he put his arm around me and told me when John was a little older we would “needle” the other eye.
When I arrived home I took mail from the box to find a letter from grandma Stricklett. She wrote that my mother had written about John and she wanted to help somehow. Being so far away she was sending a check in lieu of being there in person…….the check was for $150.…….
The generosity I received that day was so much more than I could comprehend. How do you simply say “thanks” to two people who have given so much to someone who could give nothing in return? I was overwhelmed and humbled……and it remains with me still…..
“God’s in His heaven…All’s right with the world.”
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
The nurse came in and said we should put him back to bed and see how it went with the patch but it started the whole process over. Now he was crying and wanted mama. She said she would have to put ties on his wrists which she would then tie to the crib so he wouldn’t damage his eye. I said I would like to stay a while if it was alright and she nodded saying she would put the ties on when I left. I sat there with my hand through the side of the crib touching him for some time. I stayed as long as I could because I knew it would be almost impossible to leave him. Finally I rang for the nurse and she tied his hands to the rails. He didn’t like it at all and began trying to get loose. The nurse promised she would take them off as soon as he was OK with the patch.
I told them he had just been weaned from nursing and may have problems using the bottle so he wouldn’t hold it and drink like a baby who was used to the bottle. She assured me all would be fine so having done all I could to make it easier for John, I left. It was supper time when I got to Freda’s. She was feeding all the children and the two of us ate after they were finished. Georgie and Becky wanted to know if John had his surgery and if they could go see him. I filled Freda in on my day at the table. We ate alone as George and her husband were both working. After we visited a while I took Georgie and Becky home and George got home sometime towards morning.
They called from the hospital the next day and said I could come and get John. Dr. Eubanks left a prescription for eye drops which were to be put in his eye for several days and then we were to make an office call. His patch was off when I went to pick him up and he was happy to see me. The family was glad to have him home and gave him lots of attention. Soon we would know if he was helped by the procedure.
Our next office visit was quite lengthy as Dr. Eubanks dilated his eye and assessed any improvement. He was very methodical and precise with his investigation. When he was finished he said he wanted to talk with me. As I held John on my lap he said, “I want you to take this little guy home with you and treat him just like the other two children in your family. If he misbehaves give him a spanking. If he deserves praise, give it to him. He already has a big strike against him…..don’t make it worse by spoiling him rotten and making allowances for his handicap. No one likes a child who misbehaves so don’t give him another handicap to overcome.”
I knew he was right and I committed to use his advise from that time on. I asked him how much the “bill” was that we owed and he hesitated for a moment…..then took a piece of paper and wrote $150 on it. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Even in 1957 that was only a token amount for what he had done. I asked what we owed the hospital and he said….”it’s taken care of. You can pay me when you can.” His generosity and kindness were beyond my comprehension. I tried to express my gratitude but my voice betrayed the words I would have said……he put his arm around me and told me when John was a little older we would “needle” the other eye.
When I arrived home I took mail from the box to find a letter from grandma Stricklett. She wrote that my mother had written about John and she wanted to help somehow. Being so far away she was sending a check in lieu of being there in person…….the check was for $150.…….
The generosity I received that day was so much more than I could comprehend. How do you simply say “thanks” to two people who have given so much to someone who could give nothing in return? I was overwhelmed and humbled……and it remains with me still…..
“God’s in His heaven…All’s right with the world.”
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
