Visiting Shut Ins

Yesterday I decided to visit some of our shut ins in nursing homes.
I went to the first person who was not in his room. Instead he was in the activity room where someone was singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." I found him asleep in his wheelchair.
And the dilemma - should I go in, wake him up and then take him out and talk to him.
No - I went back to his room and left my card. On the way to and from his room I heard a woman in another room quietly saying "Help me, Help me."

Then I went to a second nursing home to visit a woman. Again she was asleep and her bed was down low. Again the dilemma - do I go over, crouch down and try to wake her up for a little chat and a prayer. Again the decision - No - I will leave my card.

Finally the third nursing home and the man was in. We had a delightful conversation about his family and about politics and even the church.
He told me a story about going on an outing to the Franklin Conservatory to see the butterfly exhibit. They took two vans of people in wheelchairs. In the second van, one of his friends got a nosebleed and passed away in the van. It sounded awful to me. They had to call the ambulance and then the coronor.
He said usually they don't tell you when people have died - they are just gone.
I remember when my Dad talked about the fact that they were living in heaven's waiting room - they were not in a nursing hom - just in their 70's! This truly is exactly that.
As I left I went down the elevator and several residents joined on the way down. They were getting ready for dinner. Most everyone had a walker or a wheelchair. What struck me was the friendliness and affection with which they greeted one another.

If we live long enough we may end up in nursing homes. I wonder how that will be.