With so many ‘national days’ marked now in the calendar, it’s hard to keep track of them all, isn’t it? ‘Some are great fun, while others are much more serious and worth noting,’ says Ministry Lead Debbie Ducille. ‘On 13 March alone, there are several national days that could be marked – National No-Smoking Day is one, but National Coconut Torte Day also caught the eye!!’ Norwich-based Anna Chaplain, Gaye Hailstone (pictured) recently shared a heart-warming story connected to this date as, more significantly for Anna Chaplaincy perhaps, it is also National Good Samaritan Day.
Gaye says:
‘On 13 March, Good Samaritan’s Day, a care home member of staff presented me, and the Anna Friend who visits with me, with a box of “posh” biscuits and thank you card saying to me: “This is for all the time, love and care you give to the residents each month and how they look forward to your visits.” She said Anna Chaplaincy was a wonderful example of being a good Samaritan, being people who don’t walk past others who are living with dementia “on the other side of the road” but who stop and take the time to listen, to engage with them. This member of staff would usually be called the activities coordinator in many other homes, but in this particular home is called the lead on life enrichment – and that is how she sees what we do.’
Thank you for sharing this experience, Gaye – and for every ‘Good Samaritan’ out there, may God bless you as you bless others with gifts of time, attentiveness and loving, non-judgmental presence. And for those of us who feel like the person robbed, beaten and clinging onto life by the roadside, may we be open to compassionate care from surprising places…
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