One generation praises Your works to another, acclaiming Your mighty deeds.
Working at a Nursing Home/Rehab each day has been a little bit like entering an alternate universe. Time runs differently here (as proof: we daven mincha and maariv at 3:30pm!). Time is not marked as much by the hands on a clock as by when different events take place - services (it's a Jewish facility), rehab or personal care appts for the residents and of course, meals! Life seems to revolve around the meals - it feels like as a professional (or at least as a chaplain) there are hours each day when visiting is not efficacious, particularly before, during and sometimes right after meals.
Yet, there is magic that happens here as well. Each time I talk to a resident I learn something new. I might get a glimpse into an era almost forgotten, be gifted with a piece of wisdom I'd never heard before, or be given a beautiful smile by one who no longer speaks much if at all. I am able to offer a comforting presence, a listening ear, a hug and of course, a smile. Together we find God's presence, whether or not we are able to recognize it each time.
A fine intergenerational exchange if ever there was one.
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