DEAD WEIGHT

Yesterday after a luncheon I was in a car with three other women. We stopped to let out the one who is 97 years old. At her front door, she lost her balance, hit into her door and slid to the concrete. The nurse driver ran to help her. The other passenger in the backseat who has severe arthritis said she would go help because it would take two people to help her up. I said I would do it although I thought the nurse knew how to help her.

We each took an arm to help lift her and she was a total dead weight. As I helped, I realized that this was something I wasn’t strong enough to handle. The nurse told her to hang onto our arms which she did and with massive effort we got her to stand up. She didn’t seem shaken and said she was OK. We carried her purse and mail into her home and she really seemed all right.

When I got home I realized she may seem all right but I was really shaken. Trying to lift a dead weight is almost impossible which I had known but never experienced. In the midst of all of this, I thought I’m 80 years old and this is really hurting all through my body. We managed with a valiant effort and I was totally glad because I wasn’t sure that I could continue.

Every day I’m reminded there are some things I really don’t want to deal with.