Loss Of A Good Friend

I saw in the obituaries the other day that Charles "Mac" Boswell passed away at the age of 83. To most reading this entry, this really doesn't mean much. Perhaps someone from Mechanicsville, checking this site, knew Mac or at least recognizes his name. Mac was the first resident I met in the nursing home industry and he left an indelible mark on me.

I was hired in 1999 as the Business Office Manager of Henrico Healthcare Center. I walked into the lobby the first day and came face-to-face with Mac Boswell. This was a new experience for me and I was a bit apprehensive. Mac, siting in his wheelchair, was telling the nurses to assist his mother into the day room common area for lunch. Seeing Mac as elderly himself, I could not believe his mother was also at Henrico Healthcare. I thought he was just another older person with dementia. I was so wrong. Turns out, he and his mother shared a room and had done so for several years. Mac was 75 years old at the time and his mother was 95.

Mac and I became good friends while I was there. His mind was sharp, but his body had been stricken with cerebral palsy since birth. Over the years, he had developed great relationships with many in Mechanicsville. We had talks about his boyhood and the changes he had seen in Mechanicsville, our hometown, over the course of his life. His mother had cared for him throughout his life. When she was unable to care for herself and him, Mac went with his mother to live in the nursing home. I learned a great deal from Mac Boswell, but nothing more important then to treat everyone as valuable. All seniors have needs and desires and have something to add to the discussion of many of these issues. Everyone has worth because of who they are, not what they do. From the first day, I found some real gems amongst the residents living in nursing homes. I continue to visit several homes in the Richmond, VA area on a regular basis with my dog performing pet therapy.

The book of Hebrews 13:2 has become very real for me and I want others to understand its instruction. This passage says, "Be careful to entertain strangers, for by doing so, you entertain angels unaware." Mac Boswell was one of those people that I took the time to get to know. I am so glad I did.