Julia Jefferson Espy c. 1895
Yesterday Nyel and I made a couple of “sick calls” – or at least that’s the term my great-grandmother Julia Espy would have used when she went to visit with neighbors who were feeling under the weather. It was raining, so even though one of our calls was only a few houses down the street, we went in the car. No doubt Julia would have gone by horse and buggy.
Neither of the patients we visited were in bed, or “bed bound” as Julia would have put it. Both were “up and taking nourishment.” Our morning visit was to see how our neighbor Carol was doing following Monday’s chemo treatment.
Carol in Oysterville, January 28
Now there’s a concept that would have boggled Julia’s mind. And, had she opened Carol’s door and found her at her computer… I can’t even imagine! But, the conversation might have been much the same. Did you sleep well? Have you had breakfast? Can we get anything for you? And then a little bit of the latest village news. Assured that Carol had everything under control, we left for the post office, promising to bring her mail on our return.
I suspect that Julia might have had a book of poetry or, more likely, her Bible with her and she may have sat and read to her friend for a bit. I’m not clear about whether she would have shared the latest neighborhood gossip, though probably so if it was of a cheerful variety. It was considered important to keep up the spirits of those who were ailing. Some things don’t change.
Gordon, January 28, 2014
Later in the day we went to see our friend Gordon who has just transferred from the hospital to an adult foster care facility until he’s able to return home. We were absolutely delighted to find him sitting up with a lovely long-haired cat lounging contentedly on his lap. Unless we’d been able to take Gordon’s own Osa with us, we had no way to compete with such a fabulous new friend.
I don’t know quite what Julia would have thought of the cat. I don’t think she would have approved. Her daughter-in-law (my grandmother) thought that cats were dirty and carried disease and belonged outdoors – preferably in the barn keeping down the rodent population. On the other hand, I doubt very much if Gordon would have appreciated poetry and Bible verses. He had one eye on the Andy Griffith show on the Big Screen TV. Which would have been another quantum leap for my 19th century ancestor!
But, the sentiment was the same, then as now. Clapping and cheering from the sidelines is sometimes the best you can do to support a friend’s health battles. Both our visits yesterday left us feeling positive. I hope Carol and Gordon felt likewise.
It sounds as if your sick calls were the perfect variety. My mother has always said that they ought to be of short duration if the patient is very ill. “They are not there to entertain YOU, she always says.