Reflection #4
“The Empty Chair”
We keep our houses and apartments neat. We want to be ready in case we have a visitor. We have guest rooms, hide-a-bed couches, and comfortable chairs for visitors to sit in. We enjoy having visitors stay. But what if they never did?
THE EMPTY CHAIR
By M. Violet Asmuth
The chair was the first thing Lily noticed when she was carried into the room. It was a large chair and perhaps too elegant for its surroundings. The plush material felt soft to the touch. Tiny white woven dots over the cobalt blue color created a three-dimensional effect. It will be a comfortable chair for my visitors, Lily thought on her first day in Merry Manor Care Center.
Confined to her bed, Lily’s social contacts were limited to only those persons who entered the room. No visitors came from outside the facility as her family lived far away.
A nurse brought morning medications into the room. Lily said, “Sit down in my comfortable blue chair and visit a minute.” The nurse smiled and said, “I wish I could but I have a lot of residents waiting for their pills.”
A CNA entered the room to help Lily get dressed for the day. Lily said, “Sit down in my comfortable blue chair and visit a minute.” The CNA smiled and said, “I wish I could but I still have six more residents who need me to help them dress.”
A volunteer carried a plastic meal tray into the room. Lily said, “Sit down in my comfortable blue chair and visit a minute.” The volunteer smiled and said, “I wish I could but I have other trays to deliver.”
The activity director looked into the room to ask if anyone wanted to play Bingo. Lily said, “Sit down in my comfortable blue chair and visit a minute.” The activity director smiled and said, “I wish I could but Bingo starts in five minutes.”
The doctor walked into the room to check on Lily’s condition. Lily said, “Sit down in my comfortable blue chair and visit a minute.” The doctor smiled and said, “I wish I could but I have four other patients to see in this facility.”
A social worker stepped into the room to ask a question about Lily’s family. Lily said, “Sit down in my comfortable blue chair and visit a minute.” The social worker smiled and said, “I wish I could but I have to catch up on my paper work.”
A resident entered the room and handed Lily an ad and a catalog. Lily said, “Sit down in my comfortable blue chair and visit a minute.” The resident smiled and said, “I wish I could but they gave me the job of delivering the mail today.”
So it went, day after day, smiling people walking in and out of Lily’s room. One evening when the nurse came into the room to administer pills, she smiled and said, “You are fortunate that you chose such a friendly nursing home.” “Very fortunate,” replied Lily. She turned her head and stared at the comfortable blue chair. As always, it was empty. A tear rolled down Lily’s cheek.