My Friend, Margie

I have walked these halls for nearly eight months now. I see familiar faces and some new. I say hello, and it is followed by "How are you?" I pass by doors that are opened and closed never knowing what or who I might see. Each day is different. I try not to get attached, but it is hard not too. All anyone wants is to be loved and feel needed. I round the corner and I finally hear that familiar voice. I must admit it makes me smile.
There she sits, wheel chair and all. Her deep voice alone is enough to make even the toughest of men crack a smile. Her name is Margie, and I have taken a liking to her. Her favorite song is Old McDonald and we sing this from time to time. She likes to tell me stories and I too do the same. Her favorite drink is Coca Cola and she always tries to con me into buying one for her. I can hear her now..."I want 4 cents ($1.00 that is)."
Most of the time she makes her way up to the front office just to sit and look at the birds or go outside. She loves the birds. She would sit for hours if you let her, and just stare in awe. You can tell she is an animal lover. I love our conversations, I never know where they will take us. Most times, it is hard for me to make out what she is saying, but honestly Margie doesn't seem to mind. She will just keep right on talking. Her laughter is contagious. I am not sure how old Margie is, but even with her age, she is in a state of innocence. I am always up for one of her funny stories.
Miss. Margie also likes her cars. She could go on for days talking about them. She likes the classic cars and one of her favorites is the Chevy Bell Air. She says she will take this in red, as this is also her favorite color. From time to time I bring some of the residents in the office with me and I will paint their finger nails. They love this, and I enjoy doing this for them. After all, everyone deserves a little pampering from time to time. Margie always enjoys this, and I never know what color she will tell me to paint them next. This week she would like yellow and midnight blue. So this weekend, that is what I intend to do.
I came into this job wondering how much I was going to like it, as my grandmother suffered from Alzheimer's. The truth of the matter is, I love my job. No, it might not be the highest paying job in the world, but it makes all the difference when you can wake up in the morning and feel good about going into work. I love the residents here. There is never a dull moment.
This past week Margie has not been feeling her best, so this evening I wheeled her into the front office with me. I asked if she was feeling any better and in her deep voice she managed to mutter "a little bit". I then busted out with "Old McDonald had a farm" and once again I got to see that sweet smile. She followed by saying "on that farm there was a horse" I start making the noise a horse would make and Margie immediately burst out laughing. Praise God no one else was around to hear! Margie tells me I am silly. I am sure others would have thought the same or perhaps that I am off my rocker. Either way, I am happy to have made a new friend.