I knew it was going to happen sooner or later; I wish it had been later (or never)! A visitor and I were sitting and talking at my dining room table. Suddenly, he pointed to the floor and asked if I knew I had another visitor. Sure enough there was one of those small slimy looking lizards lying on my carpet between us.

He got up and tried to get it out the front door, but instead it went into the air-conditioning floor vent. I may never see it again, but I might see it even closer! These small creatures play around on my side porch and the wheelchair ramp. I’m not sure if this one came in the side door with me or the visitor.

I have warned everyone, coming and going, not to leave the door open. When I am coming in, or going out, flies and other insects often come in with me. But so far this year, I have only had a few flies, ants, or other insects inside. I only saw one Japanese beetle outside on my gorgeous hibiscus plant.

When I was in the nursing home last year, I saw one of these crawling creatures in the hallway which goes out to the courtyard. I prayed that I would not see one in my private bedroom. I wish that I had not seen this “little Speedy Gonzalez” in my house now, but I will thank God every day if I never see a snake inside. My husband hated snakes and had a real fear of them. He said if we ever had one inside the house, there would be a “For Sale” sign out at the road within hours. My oldest daughter and I didn’t tell him that we had just recently seen a small snake on one side of the basement and I had killed it with a hoe!                         (Several guys have seen rather large snakeskins under this house and I have seen two outside this year; maybe that is why I don’t have mice.)

Sometimes I wonder if God will take me “sooner” or “later”. It seems like everything I have to do gets harder and the things I want to do border on the impossible. Recently, I broke my largest glass mixing bowl and spilled nearly all of a Cheerwine in the kitchen floor and along the edge of the living room carpet. These things happen more often and it gets harder for me to clean them up. It seems like the more I lean over in the power chair, the harder it is for me to sit back up. (Just before I got ready to send this for publication, I bent over in the yard to pull a weed and could not set back up. In trying to do so, I slid out of the power chair into my flower bed. I could not reach the telephone so I had to use the emergency button that I wear around my neck. I cannot hear them answer when I am outside, but because I didn’t answer they paged First Responders and my daughter. Thank God this was a minor event and I just needed to be put back in my power chair. Other than a few scratches I was okay so I didn’t have to go to the emergency room by ambulance this time.) Several times I have had to call my neighbor, Lindsay, to help me transfer from my scooter back to my power chair. I am so happy that, sooner rather than later, I have been provided with a CNA to help me get ready to go out on Tuesday. That has been another one of God’s answer to prayer.

Most of my dear friends with helping hands and hearts are older than I am. Taking me out in their vehicles could result in me falling and breaking my “fragile bones.” Also, my wheelchair could damage their cars, or their bodies. On the worst of the bad days, I sometimes wish God would take me to my eternal home SOONER THAN LATER!

 

Linda Beck lives in Woodleaf.