We won't always have see the sunrise

The Nursing Home

Cassey wasn't like any other eighteen year old girl. Most girls her age were out drinking, or partying,
or having sex. But Cassey, she spent almost all her free time at 15' 12 street Blue Petal Edinburg
nursing home.
She spent most of her time volunteering here, and just helping around with small tasks such as
preparing meals, running bingo night, and just spending time with all the residents. Cassey had started
working at the nursing home when she was sixteen. Around the same time that her father had walked
out on her and her mom, the man was decent enough to still pay for half of Cassey's school fees, and
give Cassey pocket money once a month. I mean he had the money to share, as he was definitely not
in financial distress. At the time Cassey had taken great comfort in all the elderly people who were
more than happy to welcome her into their little community. Some of the dementia patients would
mistake her for their daughter or grandchild, giving Cassey multiple mothers, grandmothers,
grandfathers, fathers, aunts, and uncles. The type of support and care she got from the residents in
Blue Petal nursing home, was a lot more than what she got at home from her mother. Ever since her
dad had walked out on Cassey and her mom, her mom had started becoming much more occupied
with her work as a lawyer which kept her in the office for long hours usually only getting home at
around ten thirty and be gone the next morning by quarter to five. So Cassey did not get much support
or reassurance from her. When Cassey looked back on her first few months at Blue Petal she realized
that the residents were the only reason she was still alive.
~1~

During Casey's time at the nursing home, she had gotten close to one particular resident called
Shirley. Around the same time that Cassey had started working at the nursing home, Shirley had lost
both her daughter and husband in a car accident, leaving her all alone with no other close relatives.
This gave the chance for Cassey to have a parental figure that was present in her day and it gave
Shirley a daughter again. Cassey and Shirley really did have a mother daughter relations, Cassey
would tell Shirley all about her dating life and which boys she liked, as Cassey's mother was so
absent at this time Shirley was the one who gave Cassey her first sex talk, she would also talk to
Shirley about how school was going and when she passed or failed a test. Shirley would in turn tell
Cassey about the rumors and gossip going around the nursing home, and which men she had talked to
recently. They also fought sometimes like all healthy relationships do, but it was usually over silly
things like why the portion the of raspberry jam is so little on the scones that they serve for tea at the
nursing home. To say the least they were close. Shirley took on the mother role Cassey had been
missing while her mom had been preoccupied with work, and Cassey was Shirley's closest thing to a
daughter. So the relationship benefited both of them. Most days Cassey would come in the afternoons
directly from school, and would just come and spend time with Shirley, it would generally mix
between Shirley helping Cassey with homework or projects or they would just sit and talk about life
in general, over tea and the scones with the too little jam. These little moments made both Shirley's
and Casey's days much brighter. During the holidays Cassey would spend the entire day at the
nursing home. They would spend the moming playing bingo and spend the evenings by the fire
talking with all the elderly residents about their youth days and what life used to be like before
technology took over the world.
~2~

During the evenings by the fire, the residents would tell Cassey all about their lives before they came
to Blue Petal. She greatly enjoyed the conversations she had with the residents. It gave her new
perspectives on life, and they challenged her to think about circumstances which Cassey could never
even imagine, that the lived through everyday of their youth. Each resident had a different, unique
story to tell, and each was as valuable as the next. Some days she heard about what it was like living
in America during the Wall Street crash, some days she would learn about the terrors of the London
bombing, and other days she would hear what it was like living having siblings fitting in the Vietnam
war, and not knowing if they would return. The stories, especially about war times, gave Cassey a
new appreciation for life. And what so many people take for granted, such as the simplicity of
contacting friends. Where Cassey would just send a message, and get a response back in seconds. But
the residents, in their youth, had to send letters to their loved ones and then wait two months to get
any word back, or no word at all.
~3~