Living Life - PRESENT DAY
(SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2016)
I wish I could explain it to them, but I know they will never listen to me.
Kylin's Thoughts
My brain shut down the auditory nerves to allow me time to focus on what had been decided. Ruthanne had chosen to handle things the way she did and that was her wish.
Ever since the first day I began working for her, I was seen as an outsider to anyone who came by to offer her warmth and encouragement.
Often, her church family would insist that I was a bad influence on her towards the end because she began to exhibit characteristics that weren't in line with the woman, they had all come to know and love.
The real problem had more to do with their selective memories about her that they insisted had to be the truth. To make themselves feel better about the 'good woman' who appeared to have changed so much, they decided to lay the blame at my feet rather than deal with the effects of her illness which caused a descent from the traditions established in their circle.
The Ruthanne they knew was a devout Christian. She was a devoted wife and she was also believed to have been selected from above to take up the part of a minister's helpmate. But her mortality brought to light the fact that she had missed out on so much. What they failed to understand were her decisions towards the end.
Ruthanne had no intention whatsoever of missing out on anything else. Those were her words one hundred percent.
She had accepted that her days were few. Therefore, she elected to be selfish for once in her life.
That was the reason I found her hanging out on a lounger in short shorts and a bikini top on the first day we met.
Sure, I know most of the congregation would believe it to their dying day that I had something to do with that too, but the truth of the matter was that Ruthanne had a desire to live. She was a young woman who felt cheated and she desperately wanted nothing more than to make up for some of the time she believed would soon come to an end.
It was October 2014 when she received her diagnosis. From that day on, Ruthanne's mind had gone to work. It was as if her body shifted into planning mode.
In her mind, someone had to work out how everything would move on when she was gone. Who would honestly help the church grow and stay on a course of grace? Who would sincerely support her husband's teachings, study with him, and pray for him? What person would fill the void when she was gone?
Ruthanne thought nothing of what was to become of herself. She wasn't concerned with the sickness associated with chemotherapy. Other things took priority over that because, in her mind, the knowledge that she hadn't fulfilled her duty as a wife plagued her.
She was afraid to leave her husband with no one.
No support.
Open to the wolves who were dressed in sheep's clothing.
That terrified her more than closing her eyes for the last time.
The self-sacrificing nature of a wife who was always amazed that she had been blessed to even find someone of Rhys Yates' caliber left her speechless. They spent fifteen glorious years together and he never once abused her faith in him or took her for granted.
Rhys was longsuffering.
He never pointed out her shortcomings.
He always encouraged her to do and be her best.
Whenever she wanted to accomplish anything, Rhys was her greatest support.
Ruthanne had a best friend in her husband and she never forgot to thank God for the man he sent to her. With such an amazing person as a spouse, she believed it was her duty to make sure he would be okay when she was no longer around.
When I became aware of what she planned to do for him, my heart broke for the two nicest people I had ever met.
All that I had previously experienced convinced me that people had no idea how effective a planner she was. On the surface, they mostly saw her husband taking care of the needs of the church, the congregation, and their businesses. They had no idea she worked side-by-side with him in every aspect of their lives.
Peering into their works reaffirmed in me what it meant for two people to become one.
Ruthanne took the necessary precautions by handling everything the way she always had.
First and foremost, she had convinced herself that her husband's life would fall apart when their bond was broken. Since she had no control over her own future, she settled for control over the futures of those she held close to her heart.
♡♡♡
PRESENT DAY: Concerns
The day she glanced over her new patient's file, Kylin learned Mrs. Yates had been diagnosed with stage three endometrial cancer. To learn that someone was suffering in that way, and still placed the concerns of others before herself, was almost unbelievable.
Her mind was so lost in the promises she had made in the past, Kylin hadn't registered the hand caressing her forearm. She was equally unaware of the scowl on her face that drew Rhys's attention and concern.
In a normal setting, his touch would be enough to soothe her worry-riddled mind and reassure her that everything would eventually be okay. But in this place, all she felt were lightning bolts of hatred that were constantly flung in her direction.
Kylin accepted that the only way for her to get through the service was to redirect her thoughts away from the people who resented her very presence. Her attempt to transport herself to some other place left her body feeling like a cold dead stone as she recalled the day that she and the minister's wife first met.
When she saw Ruthanne sunbathing on a lounging chair, she was somewhat shocked to find a clergyman's wife dressed so scantily.
It wasn't long before she found herself remembering a verse in the Bible that said... "Judge not lest ye be judged. For the measure you measure to others will be measured back to you."
Kylin had no right to judge the woman.
Ruthanne's responsibility was to make her peace with life any way she saw fit, and honestly, no one had the right to condemn a person who was simply trying to make sense of what had gone utterly wrong in her life.
Kylin had no desire to look down on anyone. She understood a client's choice was a conversation to be discussed between them and the One who created them. Her job required her to show compassion for her patient's last days by striving to make those days better and never be the cause of making things worse.
Regardless of the healthcare facility with whom she was employed, the nurse knew all too well that this was an industry standard.
♡♡♡
"A HIGHER LEVEL OF CARE"
Working for Agape Hospice Care Foundation, she had become accustomed to the system of 'Godly Love or Agape Love'. It meant that the workers applied Godly love without judgment.
All clients were assigned a care team during the initial client intake on 'Day One'. Part of that team's duty was to compile a detailed portfolio of the client which included the patient's medical, emotional, and spiritual needs.
The founder's vision for her business as well as the Christian community was simple. Magdalena Armand created a service to offer Christians the one thing they weren't guaranteed in secular nursing homes and retirement centers.
Magdalena made sure the staff of medical professionals was trained and qualified to meet the client's Christian preferences. By doing so, she was able to build a medical, nursing, and hospice care organization that provided Christian-influenced nursing care in accordance with local, state, and federal laws. The Holy Bible provided the framework and foundation for how people were to be treated.
Biblical principles differentiated the Agape Hospice Care Foundation from other healthcare organizations.
The founding of the endeavor began in the cities of Texarkana, Arkansas, and Texarkana, Texas. Nursing care of that kind became increasingly more essential. Many of the congregants who lived in the surrounding areas felt the immense burden of placing their loved ones in traditional nursing care environments.
When Christians found themselves in need of nursing care, often they were at the mercy of people who either didn't believe as they believed or didn't understand that it was necessary to show Godly love and compassion to the afflicted. Without the love of Jesus Christ as a foundational pillar in staff members' lives, many elder Christians suffered.
The implementation of a Christian business model grew in demand expanding from Arkansas and Texas to include the states of Louisiana and Oklahoma.
Agape Hospice Care Foundation's approach to caring for people of faith was extended to believers and non-believers. Because some families wanted to make sure their terminally ill loved ones were covered in prayer, but not feel pressed to convert, a non-believer could still receive care, and the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ for themselves was discussed on intake but left for the client to initiate should they feel the need to do so.
With the guiding principle of extending love to people who were transitioning from this life, the information in the patient's charts was an essential tool. The chart maintained all the carefully documented details enabling the medical staff to pay close attention to the patient and their inner circle. Those details strengthened the relationship between clients and the nursing staff.
Christian patients had no need to worry if their spiritual wishes were of the utmost concern to the nursing staff. Whenever a nurse was sent to care for a patient, the family was always advised that the caregiver would already come prepared with a foundation in the Word to meet their needs.
Kylin had briefly glanced over Mrs. Yates's packet. With the care plan in hand and a description of the family and their expectations, she found herself in the presence of a radiant beauty who defied what she expected in a patient with her particular diagnosis or spiritual background.
Laying on the lounger was a lightly sun-kissed beauty. The brightest smile welcomed Kylin as the ladies found themselves engaged in friendly conversation.
Mrs. Yates' hair was pulled high up on her head in a single ponytail that hung down below her shoulders following the outline of her spine. Clear eyes sparkled with mirth as Kylin's soul warmed with joy at meeting such an amicable individual. It was Ruthanne's encouraging presence that chiseled away some small measure of the hurt she had been hiding from everyone else. The other-worldly eyes gleamed as she eagerly conversed with Kylin as if they were old friends.
"Kylin, if you don't mind my asking, how old are you?"
At first, she was caught off guard. But, since it seemed like a harmless query, she easily responded to her new patient.
"I'm twenty-six. Actually, my birthday is in a few months." Kylin responded.
"Are you a summer or fall baby?" Ruthanne pressed further.
"My birthday is September 9th." She replied.
"Take a peek at my file and you'll see my birthday." The woman on the lounger grinned.
Kylin opened the patient's chart and glanced down to where the date of birth was typed in. It was then that she confirmed that Ruthanne's birthday was one day before hers. The ladies were exactly twelve years and one day apart.
From that moment, they became the best of friends.
♡♡♡
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