Of Being a Better Person

In the past few weeks, four of our former Charlie’s Place clients have passed away. Not a good way to begin a Blog, but a reflection that not only has me very grateful that I was given the privilege of knowing and serving these clients during their stay at Charlie’s Place, but also an acknowledgement and appreciation of the lives they had led...lives and full history possibly not known to those who cared for them.

George always called me “Miss Corpus Christi” referencing my hometown. He was a native Texan, too, and so most of our conversations always centered around the second largest State in the U.S. We’d talk about great sites and share memories of our respective growing up days. He gave me a sense of belonging, asking me about my home state, and I loved the reminiscing periods with him. He did talk about the Navy, but it slipped my mind until reading his obituary that he served in World War II. A life of service. A life well lived.

Georgia kept me on my toes. Intelligent, witty, and a great storyteller, she was a delight to engage in conversation. I remember how her eyes lit up when children from our Generations program visited Charlie’s Place. She loved children, and I could always tell she was a natural born educator. What I remember most about Georgia, however, was her deep spirituality. She always was an attentive participant in my Bible Study classes. One of the last events I directed in which she attended was a Christian Seder Meal on Holy Thursday, right before Easter. We closed the prayer service with singing the “Our Father.” As the music began to play, and everyone began to sing, Georgia lifted each hand beside her and clutched her neighbor. The clients all followed suit. Around the table, all the Charlie’s Place clients had bowed their heads and were holding hands and singing/praying the “Our Father.” The scene was a mental photograph that will never erase from my mind and one in which I will always cherish. It brings me to tears writing about it. You can’t imagine the overwhelmingly thrust of emotions I experienced with Georgia that day. I was so gifted to know her.

Another client named George also passed away. He was a character. I remember the day we completed the admission papers with his son and he noticed an electrical outlet high on the wall of our Program room. As he was leaving, he tapped it and turned to me and said, “That’s in the wrong place.” George was an Electrician so he knew the standards. I smiled and responded that we would take care of it. Quiet and reserved George made a memorable transition during his stay here at Charlie’s Place…one for our history books. He was the proverbial caterpillar that changed into a butterfly. Whatever the analogy, George experienced a metamorphosis at Charlie’s Place and by December of the year he had been admitted to Charlie’s Place, he was playing Santa for the children in our Generations program. And, though he could not really verbalize his excitement, I could read his eyes to see his expression of gratitude that playing Santa gave him a purpose and a sense of self-worth. I wonder sometimes if George and my dad crossed paths as both of them served in the Korean War conflict. I am sure there were many more stories to tell about George.

Last, but not least, we lost Bill. Bill had a short stay at Charlie’s Place and unfortunately, I did not get to know him as well as the other clients. However, I did experience Bill’s love of family and children and his love of music. Having been in the music ministry at Comite Baptist Church, Bill would ignite during sing-a-longs and Bible Study. What I remember most about Bill was his sensitivity, his placid nature, never wanting to impose on anyone, always offering assistance to others. He was one of those kind and gentle souls that one tries to emulate.

Four lives gone. These were individuals, contributing individuals to family and society, with generations of stories to appreciate and acknowledge. Yet, perhaps Alzheimer’s prevented anyone from looking beyond the disease, masking the immense history lessons of great benefit to us.

For me, the experience of knowing these four unique individuals, who happened to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, can be described best by a line in the movie, “As Good As It Gets.” Jack Nicholson’s character tells Helen Hunt’s character, “You make me want to be a better man.”

For the two Georges, Georgia and Bill, and for all the present clients at Charlie’s Place, I whisper that line to myself at the end of each day, for each experience, each encounter with them is a privilege. All of them, past and present, and others we serve, simply, make me want to be a better person.

-Dana Territo, Director of Services