By Victoria Owens
My summer was probably different than most,
But mine was way better, just listen to me boast.
I spent over 400 hours with dementia clients,
And I got working with them down to a science.
To you it may not sound all that fun,
But I’m sure you’d change your mind if you had done what I’ve done.
In May, I was unsure of myself, timid and shy,
And I was just waiting for my hours to go by.
But day by day, I started to grow,
And I could feel myself improving and it was starting to show.
I no longer asked what I was supposed to do,
I just worked the day away until my hours were through.
I went on walks with the elderly, both ambulatory and not.
We talked to every person we saw, and let me just tell you, it was a lot.
We played catch in the hallway every day,
And their hand eye coordination improved greatly, let me say.
We colored and read and baked and more,
It was fun getting there at 8 seeing what the day had in store.
One day, I got to thinking of something fun to do,
But I knew it would have to involve the community too.
I wanted to raise awareness for both the facility and the disease,
So I dreamt up a project that was way too big for me.
But I was destined to make it work and I am so glad I did,
Because what I did, the families think is so big.
I advertised Greenhill’s Alzheimer’s care home to my community,
and collected lots in donations to go towards the facility.
I then drew and painted a 4 foot mural on ceramic tiles,
and showed it to the residents to be greeted by large smiles.
It was then I knew I wanted them to help me in some way,
And I knew just how in about a day.
I painted their thumbs in bright orange paint,
And had them add their thumbprints, some dark and some faint.
I then turned their thumbprints into a school of fish,
It is something I hope their families adore, I just wish.
After the mural was glazed, I began to put it up on the wall.
All of the ambulatory residents admired in the halls.
They were so happy to see something new and bright,
The joy in their eyes was such a breathtaking sight.
The next day I applied the grout,
And many residents began to pout.
They thought I was taking the mural away,
But I promised them it was there to stay.
As of now, the project is all complete,
Up on the wall, it looks really neat.
This summer was so much more than I thought it would be,
It was the highlight of my life, and I mean that wholeheartedly.
I made so many memories, but I will just share a few,
But if you want to know more, contact me. Please do!
Memory one is so close to my heart,
As it is not one single memory, it has many parts.
Each day I would greet every client with a warm friendly hi,
And many clients would brush it off, simply saying good bye.
They didn’t know me. Who was I to them in all reality?
I went home, thought real hard, and had the perfect remedy.
I began to ask them about their lives and gather stories
I learned many successes, failures, and all their glories.
By the end of summer I knew them all by name,
But not only that, I knew most of their claims to fame.
I was no longer a worker to them,
They made me feel like a hidden gem.
They got to know me and let their guards down,
They treated me like a queen in a crown.
I am so happy I got to know them all
For in my mind, they all stand big and tall.
They aren’t just clients in a home waiting to die,
They are my grandparents, all 24 of them, mine.
Memory two is so clear in my mind,
And I was blessed with the memory because I was kind.
Each day, I would french braid my hair,
And a few of the clients would watch with great care.
I grew fond of a particular lady, who has the most shocking history,
I liked her for many reasons, especially her sense of mystery.
She followed me around and always poked fun,
And she wouldn’t leave my side until each day was done.
I french braided her hair one early one day,
And keep in mind she has Alzheimer’s, if you may.
As I was leaving, I hear, “Victoria, look my hair is like yours was yesterday,”
It was the most rewarding moment of all summer, I’d say.
If anyone has issues about giving their time,
Just know a smile means so much more than a dime.
It is such a simple way to give back to your community,
and the benefits of your service, multiply infinitely.
I have no regrets of serving my whole summer away,
Actually, I couldn’t imagine it any other way.
Yes, the internship classes are required to graduate from San Diego State,
But the lifelong lessons and memories earned are worth it. It’s great.
You get out what you put in,
And there wasn’t one minute I was without a grin.
Go into the internship with an open mind,
And you will be surprised with what you may find.
Victoria Owens is a student in the SDSU undergraduate Gerontology program. Pictures from her experience can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/San-Diego-State-University-School-of-Social-Work/317761961575997