More Than A Birthday Party

As part of the school we do community service once a week (every Wednesday).  I was put into the group for the "Old Folks' Home" and I was pretty happy with that because I used to go to the nursing home in town (at home) with my youth group.  The first day of community service, Evanne, Jessica, Fiona, and I arrived right on time and we didn't know what to expect at all.  Well... we were expecting an English speaking lady to be in charge, but we very quickly found out she spoke French.  There wasn't really anything planned for us to do but that was what led us to meeting Christine.  

In the midst of all the elderly people sitting in their beds or chairs, we finally found someone that we could spend some time with - talking and making puzzles.  Fiona and I were sitting with her at her desk trying to help her with her puzzle (I think we got about 8 pieces together) and chatting about various things, but I kept wondering how old she was because she was clearly not an old person.  So finally I asked, "How old are you?" We were both shocked when she said 17.  I'm 17.  I couldn't imagine being stuck in a nursing home at my age.  Right at that moment I had a huge heart for Christine.  She spent her days in this dark room, in her wheelchair, with no one her age to talk to or hang out with.  That's the last thing a teenage girl would want.  To our surprise once more, she told us that her birthday was February 10th.  How perfect! We would throw her a birthday party when we came the day before, on the 9th.  We found out her favorite kind of cake (chocolate of course) and made cupcakes, got her a few little gifts, and performed a birthday song for her.  We set up balloons and decorations around a table for her, and played pin the tail on the donkey.

I discovered one thing from this experience: that I'm really bad at pin the tail on the donkey.  Just kidding, I really got a lot out of it.  It made me realize how simple it is to show someone that you care.  I could see it in her eyes as I took a picture of her; she felt special.  A little goes a long way.  In just an hour and a half we had given Christine an experience that she may not have had in a long time, or ever.  It didn't take a lot of money and effort, just a little time and compassion.  I think we can all find a way to help people more often - whether it be a friend or family member, or someone that we just met.