Call Your Oldsters Today. Give Them Your Love.

Amazing – this happened to me last night and I posted in my Facebook group to share my story.  Incredible response!

I was just on my way to 6.30pm boxing class, waiting at the T junction on Onewa Road when I saw this old lady, really, and I mean REALLY struggling, walking with her stick.

She was practically going backwards she was struggling so badly. DOZENS of cars streamed by in the rush hour.

Took me quite a while to get out of my road, over to her side of the road and pull over. Meanwhile HUNDREDS of cars streamed by in the rush hour. HUNDREDS.

She said she was going to the bookshop. She seemed very concerned about it. I held her up as the traffic screamed by, and promised to take her.

A lovely young woman with a swishy ponytail in a yellow beetle pulled over too. We managed to get the lady in the car and I said I’d pop straight her up to the bookstore which calmed her down. Lovely swishy girl followed.

Bookstore – not surprisingly at 6.30pm – closed. Asked if I could drop her home, which she said would be lovely. Except she had no idea where she lived. After a little while she gave be a road name. I googled it. It was in Epsom. How did you get here to Birkenhead I asked? No idea at all.

Hmmm. I asked if she had a phone. Which she did but it was dead as a doornail. Her name was sellotaped on the phone. “Elaine – who lives with you in Epsom honey?” My husband. Do you have his number, he might be worried about you?” Bearing in mind the phone was dead I thought this was a pretty long shot – but amazingly – SHE KNEW THE NUMBER!

Miracle! MIRACLE!

Got hold of her lovely husband. Bless him. Don’t bring her to Epsom – please can you take her back to the residential home in Birkenhead. Sure thing. Elaine by this time was convinced her sweet husband would be meeting us at this place in Birkenhead she had never heard of. As we drove in – no recollection of being there before.

Once I had her safely inside I managed to find a member of staff – who was SO SPECTACULARLY UNCONCERNED about this poor sweet vulnerable lady stumbling about the neighborhood it took my breath away. I will be writing to whoever owns that residential facility in no uncertain terms. What if it had been dark? Or raining? She had no working phone + no idea where she was. She could have been gone HOURS. Overnight?

Anyway – the reason I am sharing is this:

1. Call your Significant Oldsters this evening! Whether its gran/gramp/mum/dad or sweet uncle bob. CALL YOUR OLDSTERS! Check in and send them much love. I will SO be doing that tonight and feel beyond blessed I will see both my parents next weekend. That 12000 mile flight is NOTHING, nothing to how grateful I feel to be able to do it and have them hold me in their arms at the other end.
2. I totally forgot about my boxing class due to the Elaine Rescue Sitch. I’m usually pretty hard on myself if I miss a wellbeing thing – but you know what – today I’m going to give myself a pass.
3. I reckon at least 1000 cars must have passed her whilst she was tottering about in obvious distress. It was so wonderful to have Swishy Ponytail Girl stop and help. But really – two of us? Really? None of us are that busy – surely. If someone looks like they are in distress – you know what – they probably are! I know you good people would have stopped.
4. Call your oldsters – now. Do it.

 

Much love