I learned early on in my volunteer work that you’ve just got to show up. Our extreme and vulnerable elderly are mostly hidden away from the rest of the world, visitors are few and rare.

Most of America does not want to know about aging, sickness, and death, they want to be entertained and undistracted in the pursuit of money and entertainment. The residents of assisted care facilities don’t often fit into that lifestyle.

These people touch me, for reasons I don’t completely understand but totally accept. We have made their lives better in too many ways to list, and today, showing up with our Rainbow linen to say hello, touched them as much as it did me.

They kept coming up to the window (almost like prisoners, but not prisoners) to see our Rainbow, wave to us, and touch hands through the glass.

Madeline shouted through the window (she doesn’t know my name) “Hey there, thank you for showing up.”

A pleasure. We’re planning meals, a wish list, art supplies,  easels and paint and a lot of visits to the glass. Note the rainbows hurriedly made at the top of the windows.

We delivered our message. We love you, care about  you, and will always show up.