We were on the bus, heading home.  There were two more clients to drop off, Geoffrey and Jacqui who both live with dementia. 

Jacqui and Geoffrey’s conversation in the bus goes something like this:

Geoffrey: Where do you live? (for the fourth time).

Jacqui: Well, my mother likes to do that.

Geoffrey: But where do you live?

Jacqui: I like the blue one.

Staff (me): Jacqui, I think you live in Hampton, don’t you? (for the fourth time).

Jacqui: My mother says so.  

On the surface level, this seems gobbledegook but on a deeper level the conversation could be translated as:

Geoffrey: I like you, Jacqui and I like to ask people questions to find out more about them and to know them better.  Where do you live?

Jacqui: Well, I have no idea where I live and have let go of most of the facts of my life.  But I still love my mother and think of her often.  By the way, I like you too, Geoffrey.

The bus stops and I get off with Geoffrey to take him inside but Jacqui insists on coming with us.  I try to encourage Jacqui to stay on the bus but she is determined.  So instead, I invite Jacqui to accompany us, as we see Geoffrey inside.

As we approach Geoffrey’s front door, we stop momentarily and I hold out my hand to Geoffrey.  He takes it and then holds out his hand to Jacqui.  I then follow Geoffrey’s lead and reach my free hand out to Jacqui so that we create a circle.

We all look at each other and smile.  Something akin to love passes between us.  At that moment, we are not two clients and one staff but three people sharing and creating something eternal.

We drop our hands, say goodbye to Geoffrey and then Jacqui and I return to the bus.

The three of us are moved, I think and enriched.

I could feel Presence.  I reckon we all could.

Blessed be.