FromApril6th,IhadstartedmyserviceatSijiqingnursinghome.There,Imetmanyfriendsincommonandlotsoflovelyoldpeople.
Thankstomyexperienceoflookingaftermyelderparents,Icouldeasilygointotherole.Myfirstone-to-oneservicepersonisGrandpaLi.Actually,whenweweredistributedatfirst,IexpressedmywishtoattendtoAuntWang,whowasparalyzedandbed-bounded.Ithoughcompanyingherwouldbemoreinterestingbecauseshehadahigherculturallayerandwasfondofmusic.However,Iwasn’tcomeformyinterest,thustoknowmorenewoldpeopleandstartmoreservicesarealsowhatI’dliketodo.Therefore,Itoldmygroupleader:“Iwillobeyyourarrangementandacceptanyoneyougiveme.”Asaresult,IhavebeenseveringGrandpaLisincetheverybeginningofmythird-timeservice.
GrandpaLiwasa5protectdoorwithoutalotofknowledgeandchildren,I’dnevercontactedthiskindofpeoplebefore.Thoughmyfirstservice,Ifoundouttheproblems:veryfewtopicstotalkabout,hislackingofpassionforthelife,whichIfoundlaterwasactuallyacommonproblemamongoldpeople.Ibroughttheseproblemstothegroupdiscussionaftertheserviceandputitinourgroup’sblogaswell.Afterservingforseveraltimes,Igraduallyfoundasolution:Avoidtalkingaboutissuesoflifeanddeath;tellhimmorenewthingsorgoodshehadneverseenbefore.Takemycellphoneforexample,hewasconfusedwhenIheardtheringofthecellphonebutdidnotanswerit.Therefore,Itoldhimaboutshortmessageandlethimknowitcouldsavemoney.Itwasreallyamazingtocommunicatewithpeoplewithoutanytelephonewireinhiseyes.SometimesImayalsorecallthingshewasfamiliarwith,suchasmendingshoes.Andthenlethimidentifywhethermyshoesandbagweremadebyrealleather.Besides,thetoneisveryimportant.Asheismyelder,thebestwayistotreathimisthesamelikethechildrentotheirelderfather.Now,hewouldlikemetobehisniece,whichmaybethebestawardforavolunteer.
AuntWangwasmysecondservicerecipient,thoughwehadonlymetfourtimesandspentaveryshorttimetogether.Shepassedawayquiteinasuddenanditbroughtmegreatsorrow.IchosehervoluntarilyafterIreadhermaterial.ShewasanOverseasChinese,whichmademefeelintimate,formyparentswerealsoOverseasChinese.ThemomentIsawher,Ifeelsurerthatmychoicewasright.Herfigureandaccentoftypicalsouthernpeoplewaslikemymother’sverymuch,andeventheirageswereofthesame.Shehadamiserablelifetime.Andherhusbandpassedawayatanearlyage,soshehadtonurturetwokidsallbyherself.What’sworse,oneofthemwasmentallyretarded,anotheronehaduremianow.Despiteofbitterlife,shehadamightyheartandwasfondofherlife.Ilearntquitealotfromher.AndwhatIcandonowistoaccompanywithhertoreduceherloneliness.