Therapy

Today was an uneventful day. Treatment-wise I had therapy in the morning but not in the afternoon. I was surprised. It was a quiet day but still I was quite ready to get back into bed after being in a wheelchair for eight hours which can be kind of butt-numbing.

I had a conversation with one of my caregivers tonight probably about 45 minutes. She calls herself Margaret and she is from Sierra Leone. Her real name is Khadija and is a woman who speaks with a wonderful, lilting accent while telling me about her customs, way of life and cuisine. We've come to bond with each other. She is not someone who is just a qualified nursing assistant but a caring individual who takes the time to learn about her patients' needs and their families and what makes them tick. It was a very special 45 minutes of conversation I felt rejuvenated somehow after talking to her and understanding what her life's path has been, how she came to the United States, raising her family, and the community of Sierra Leoneans in Jacksonville that form a very tight community. And, in kind, she listened to me talk about my life, my family, my friends and it was truly just a beautiful moment.