In Honor of a Physical Therapist

I had the privilege of knowing a remarkable Physical Therapist thru my work with Hospice. She was near the end of life but was peaceful about eventualities. I composed this piece on the plane headed home from vacation in Florida with friends. At the time I did not know that the person had passed, and this makes it more meaningful, and is intended to honor and celebrate her life.

July 21, 2011

Dorothy - “Physical Therapist”

Titles escape

This talented therapist

Helping weak knees

Walk once more

Forcing frail appendages

To overcome impediments

A life long career of

Bringing back smiles

Down the hall and back

Climbing Mt. Everest

In a Lab coat

and sneakers.

How many knees

Were bent and bowed

Who can count

No one knows

Exuding confidence...

Weak, exhausted limbs

Resurrected to live

A life of gratitude.

This “tall oak”

Strong tower

Built her life

By helping others.

Florida Sunset 2011 Lido Beach

Christmas Poem 2010

“A Perfect Christmas Night”


Faces of Cheribs
Excitement, dis-belief
Surprise, laughter, joy
Fear of the Fat Man

Food for a crowd
Fish!, MaMa’s Lasagna!
Dipping pears in Grampa’s wine
More food than I ever thought existed

Fireplace warm
Hot chocolate, movies
Quiet Carols, Quiet night
O Holy Night

Family Fun
Grandpa’s farm
Games: everyone must play
Side splitting laughter

Following the Star….
Heavenly singers among us
Candlelight calls us
“Fall on your knees”


I wish this night would never end

The evening went way too fast

… A perfect Christmas night.



This poem is the compilation of holiday memories of the Life Choice Hospice River Edge, NJ team members composed of: Lori Vollkommer, Jennifer O’Hara, Karen Miles, Maureen Capista, Elaine Dudek, Colleen Swick, Jan Scoville, and written by Richard Harris
Christmas 2010

HOPE IN PENNSYLVANIA

To my dear friends in PA....

Sermons are inadequate for the current crisis you are in. It is LOVE which will make the difference in your situation. You are loved... and being loved. You are surrounded by prayer and by caring brothers and sisters. You are blessed.

I was thinking that mature Christians find out how dependent they really are when cancer comes or some other crisis. We remember all those "stock answers" we used with other people to bring hope and encouragement to them in their time of pain. We remember shaking our heads in wonder at someone elses' situation, and just pray that they will be comforted in their time of trouble. We look for Bible verses that will somehow speak to the heart of the hurting one, and try our best to present ourselves to them as sympathetic and understanding. .... nothing prepares us for facing our own crisis times.

Where do we find relief in the storm of worry, concern, pain (sometimes), and the whirlwind of confusion that comes from conflicting advice and is sometimes exacerbated by well meaning fellow believers who say "dumb" things. Those "well meaning" words only add to the stress and turmoil that we face. BUT... thank God... we can cover over someone else's attempt at love knowing that the source of that action is the Love of Christ working in their hearts to bring Hope to you. So... our reaction... smile and say "thank you"... knowing that they are feeling as uncomfortable as we are in the exchange. And by saying "thanks"... it brings relief to both of you... the giver and the receiver of words.

Most importantly, in all this discussion about "love" from our fellow sufferers is the Love of God in Christ. If that "love" expressed in faulty humanness brings some measure of comfort (ignoring the "dumb" part)... think how much Love is poured out by our Savior... who is perfect and does not say "dumb" things! Somehow in the background noise of someones words... we hear our Master. HE is speaking through them. Oddly enough we find in Scripture God speaking His message using a donkey!

All this to say, that almost any expression of love and encouragement that we try to give you is tainted by our sinful humanity. But, if you listen close enough... you will find something to give you HOPE IN PENNSYLVANIA !

1956

1956
23 Mayer Ave
Buffalo, New York

"Ricky", My Dad and Mom -Walter and Dorothy, and Grandma Jenny Harris

I have no idea what the occasion was, if any. I am guessing my brother Walt was behind the camera.

Notice the coverage of the flash - the old blue bulb with the strands of filaments inside that burst into flame when you pressed the shutter button. Judging from the size of the image, I am thinking it was a brownie camera with flash attachment.
The original photo is on deckle edge paper with high gloss finish that crinkles (upper left) when bent. I remember using a silver coated nickle plate. You put the wet finished print on the plate an rolled over the back with a rubber roller to get that shiny surface. We had a drug store on the corner that processed all our film. At that time we did not take a lot of pictures because of the cost.

I did doctor the photo with a scan on our all-in-one and then used Picassa edit tool to add contrast and take out photo blemishes. I deliberately did not take out all of the spots etc. It is, of course, 1956 !

Each new day...

Every day is a new day. A new day to start fresh with your dreams and goals.

Yes, life gets complicated on occasion. Sometimes those complications are of our own making. We make choices about what we are going to do in the next few minutes, and sometimes those minutes explode into hours. In the process our dreams and goals are left in the dust, and we don't have enough time left in the day to pursue them. Maybe this is a lack of discipline; maybe this is an "unconscious" attempt at avoiding the really important things in life. I'm not sure on occasion.

What about our dreams... those elusive things we wish to see happen, but just never come into view. Is the answer in blocking everything else out except those few things and concentrating on those few items? Unfortunately, that does not work for me. There are too many others areas of my life that need attention to zero in on a few selected goals.

On the other hand. Maybe the key is to un-complicate things and shed a lot of things that don't serve the major goal. OK, I have read the time-management books like you have. I have been a slave to my day-timer (when it was paper - remember those days?). I am not sure my life was much different than when I was going day to day, solving problems - my own and others; chasing kids; going about daily work. It just seemed at the time that the chaos was a little more organized.... and made me feel better about it. (Not dissing planners etc).

Personally, I have found satisfaction in being able to help someone 'in the moment'. To be an agent of change and hope in someone else's life. How is that measured? Sorry... there's no way to measure the effects of a 'word spoken in season' (as the KJV Bible puts it.) I suppose the accumulation of small acts of kindness and courtesy can add up to 'a life well lived.' Why not?

The Deer

Deer

Heart beats quicken
Game is on the run
The beauty of the the beast
Draws a longing gaze

I raise my bow
Aim at the heart
Agonizing patience
Ponder the path

I see her eyes
Steeled toward me
Calmly release
The powerful bow

My heart fixes
on easy prey
My goal
To own and consume

I am skilled
In the art
Of taking...
for myself

What stands before me
Catching my eye
My heart envelops
The object of desire

The Triumph...Empty
As I awaken
The Hunt is illusory
Clouding my heart





"The human heart is most deceitful and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?" Jeremiah 17:9 (New Living Translation)