Recently, I received a call from one of our hospice partners looking for caregiving support for one of the patients in their home. I was given the name of the client but didn’t think anything of it because it was a fairly common name. When I first arrived and met with the client and his family, I still didn’t recognize or identify that I might possibly know this man. When they found out I grew up out in Sunnyslope in Caldwell, they were instantly intrigued because their family owned a fruit farm in that area. Once they mentioned this, I recognized that the client’s last name was the same as the name of the fruit orchard where a couple of my brothers worked when they were teenagers, and where I occasionally purchased fruit.
When we spoke even further, I learned he was a school administrator. I then realized that he was my middle school principal! We had both of course changed a lot over the years. When I shared my family name with him again, he instantly recognized it, and remembered that I had four brothers and a couple of sisters that came through the school when he was principal. He also remembered that my mother worked as a substitute teacher for the school. Furthermore, he remembered that the boys in my family were wrestlers. He recalled that one of the young men in my family focused a lot on weightlifting and that it helped improve his confidence and success. Well, that person happened to be me!! He didn’t know it was me as I now sport a shiny head! It was such an honor to talk with this man and his family and to provide care for him. He recently passed away. I spoke with his granddaughter, and she shared with me how much it meant to them that they personally knew me and knew they would be in good hands. When we started this business, I had no idea I would be able to have wonderful experiences of providing in-home caregiving for people who I knew 30 years ago and who have had an impact on my life.
At Homewatch CareGivers of Idaho, we are grateful for the opportunity to provide care and change lives every day. If you have a loved one who needs support in Boise, Meridian, Nampa, Caldwell, Eagle, or Kuna, please give us a call to learn more about how we can help.
