Hard Work on Mrs. M's Farm
When I worked as a CNA in memory care there was a lady living there in her 90s named Mrs. M., and she was one of the hardest working people I ever knew.
She woke every morning right before 6:00 am and spent the day walking the hallways with her walker from one end of the building to the other, all the way up until it was time to go to bed. She would stop occasionally for a bite to eat, something to drink and a trip to the restroom, but she was always on the move and definitely would put most younger people trying to get their target steps in on their fit bits to shame.
"There's work to do" and "we gotta keep moving" was her saying and her motivation. When she would walk the halls with her walker, she looked determined and focused as if she were tilling the soil, controlling a wheelbarrow, or mowing the lawn. When she'd stop for a brief break and a chat, you could see a smile and the joy in her face from the work and effort she had just put in - she felt accomplished and deserving of the comfort of her nice chair and a drink to re-charge. Then before long, she'd say, "okay, time to get back at it," and off she went for several more laps.
I would often sit with Mrs. M. on her short breaks where she enjoyed resting in the same brown leather chair with a high back, and I'd give her something to drink (usually decaf coffee - black), and she'd tell me stories. I learned Mrs. M. was born and raised and lived her entire life on a farm before moving into the care community. For nine decades she woke at sunrise each morning to begin the work of the day. She raised a family and was also a grandmother and great-grandmother.
Mrs. M. inspired me by how determined she was, and by her sense of pride from feeling she'd done "good-honest-hard-work." This lasted a lifetime and continued until her final days.
As I reflected on this week's message, I realized my own work ethic is mostly shaped by the women I've had the honor to call family, friends, mentors, colleagues, shipmates (from my Navy days), residents and clients. I owe much of what I know about hard work to the women who've touched my life.
Okay, time to get back at it!
