There was once an elderly, despondent woman who lived in a nursing home. She wouldn’t speak to anyone, nor did she ever request anything. She merely existed – rocking in her creaky old rocking chair.
The old woman didn’t have any visitors, however, every couple of mornings, a concerned and wise young nurse would come into her room. She didn’t try to speak to her, or ask any questions. She simply pulled up another rocking chair beside the old woman, and rocked with her.
Weeks turned into months, and months turned into years. The nurse arrived one day, and found the old woman still in bed, for she had finally reached the end of her days. The nurse pulled her rocker next to the bed, sat down and began silently rocking.
Suddenly the nurse felt a touch on her sleeve, and turned to find the old woman’s ancient green eyes staring intently at her. The nurse was just about to say something, but the old woman reached out and put her finger on the nurse’s lips. She then smiled the sweetest smile the nurse had ever seen, and with her dying breath, whispered, “Thank you.”
The lesson that these beautiful women taught us, is that sometimes just being there says more than all the words in the world.
