Kick. Stroke. Quiet.

This week was there was sadness in the air. I found out that one of the more active residents had a stroke and was being hospitalized. It was rather obvious when we did the activities today that something was missing. Usually during the big ball activity he would try and kick it as hard as possible, basically booting it across the room, scaring some of the ladies. Most of them would yell and bicker at him and he’d simply smile and laugh under his breath. The other volunteers and I always got a kick out of this. However today when we play with the ball, it was so quiet and empty without him. I'll admit sometimes it gets a little boring watching a bunch of old people kick a ball around, but with him he always had a way of entertaining me.

Volunteering there has really opened my eyes to many things. It's odd how one man could change the whole atmosphere of a room. It makes me think about all those people’s families and how none of them are there to help add character to an event. Like a birthday, thanksgiving, or even a weekend away. They're all somewhat stuck there without their families or friends laughing and joking around. It just isn’t fair; but the more time I spend there the more I want to go back and make sure that these people have someone they can laugh and joke around with.