No fun

So I commended enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry; for this will remain with him in his labor all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.    Ecclesiastes 8:15 (NKJV)

Sometimes growing old is no fun.  I think we all realize that.  But last week I heard something along these lines from my just-shy-of-ninety-five-year-old grandmother and it made me reflect think a bit.

I haven't written about Grandma Great's latest troubles, but she has been dealing with a pretty serious infection in and around her knee for several months.  The basic idea is that the infection will most likely never leave her body.  Kind of a depressing thought, huh?  As of a few months ago,  thankfully, the infection was not in her bones.  That is a blessing.

The infection became septic, then proceeded to staph and has now graduated to what is known as MRSA.  Ahh.  Poor gal.  She will most likely have to see a doctor at the wound center for the rest of her life, at a minimum of every other week.

There have been a few snafu's in this infection process that cause confusion every now and then.  Sometimes it's as if the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.  That's neither here nor there.  The point of mentioning that is that Grandma is riding a roller coaster of sorts.  She thinks there's good news, and then finds out it isn't.  It's up and down, up and down.

Last week, she was 'quarantined' so-to-speak because of the new MRSA finding and the fact that her wound had starting oozing more than before.  She could not leave her room to eat, get her hair done or have her nails painted.  To a very social person, a person who has lived her life one weekly hair appointment at a time for decades, this news devastated her.  And to anyone in her direct presence, she made her feelings known...repeatedly.

Normally she does not look forward to her wound doctor appointments, but she was ready for last Friday's because she was hoping the doctor would say she didn't have to stay in her room.  I stopped in on Friday after she had returned from her appointment.  I had already spoken to my dad about how the appointment went so I pretty much knew the visit would not be a lively one.  As soon as I walked in, she looked at me with those sad little eyes, hung her head and said, "Sarah, I will never have fun again."

Part of me wanted to laugh because in reality she sounded like a kid (or me sometimes) feeling all sorry for themselves and boo-hooing over spilled milk...on the other hand, I was so sad for her because, in her view, she was being stripped of just a few of the freedoms she has left in her life. 

What I loved, however, was that although she is just a few weeks shy of turning 95 years old, she still viewed certain aspects of her life as FUN.  It was wonderful insight for me.  Will I still consider whether or not things are fun when I'm 70 years old, let alone 95?! 

I'm not making light of her situation or her feelings.  I really do hate it for her.   I know how she loves socialization (somehow I can relate, ha) and I know that her hairdo is very important (hmm, I get that) and I realize that her cracked nail polish is embarrassing.  But one thing she never loses sight of, and she will often remind me, is that there are people worse off than her.  This is true for all of us. 

The good news is that beginning yesterday at noon, she is once again allowed to eat in the dining room!  That made her day.  She has been freed from her 'prison' - at least for the time being.  I'm not sure whether she wore the staff down or if the wound dried up a little, but she's free and having fun again :) 

One of Grandma's favorite phrases has always been "eat, drink and be merry." Until a few moments ago when I did a search for bible verses related to joy and life, I didn't realize that phrase was in the bible.   How cool is that...one of her favorite phrases relates to enjoying life a/k/a having fun (depending on what translation you read). 

We can learn so much from our elders, from those that may be up there in years, but young at heart.  Go on, eat, drink and be merry.  Look for the fun stuff.   Enjoy life.  God (and Grandma Great) said so.