bogeyandruby

The other day I received a message from an elderly client of mine asking me to call him back because he was worried he might have missed a call from me.

I called him back to ask what I could do for him but there was nothing he needed. He was just concerned I may have left a message on his voice box when he was out, admitting he couldn’t remember how to retrieve his messages.

I teased him that I already have a dad who worries when he doesn’t hear from me and my client said, “Well, Sharon, that’s the immigrant way.”

Though I suspect my client may have the beginning of cognitive impairment, I was incredibly touched by this exchange.

A good friend of mine, a home care physiotherapist on the West Coast, is retiring at the end of this year and I’ll be leaving the system about a year after her. During a recent Facetime exchange, we both concurred that what we will miss the most about our jobs is the wonderful connection with clients. It is a great privilege to work with them in the intimacy of their homes.

Two days later, I noticed about four missed calls from a number with an odd-looking area code. Thankfully, that caller had left a message on my voicebox.

It was the same client’s daughter calling from Europe, saying her father told her I needed to speak to her.