My sister has been in a nursing home for many years and mostly remains in bed watching television and enjoying her food and making friends with the staff who look after her. She can’t walk and because it takes several members of staff to hoist her from her bed to get up and sit with others, she prefers to remain in bed as she doesn’t like to sit for long and sometimes she has to wait until enough staff are available to help her back into bed. She mainly gets up to attend a prayer service once a week.
I always pray that she is coping with this way of life. Her heart and liver are compromised and so we don’t know how long she has but it has been much longer than anyone anticipated. Her medicines seem to be keeping her comfortable and she does seem content with her lot.
My brother can’t see how she can cope with this life. He often says he couldn’t bear it and what’s the point of living if that is what your life consists of. I differ on this because I can see that she enjoys watching television and loves her food. She isn’t in pain and although she does get low sometimes, she very much wants to live on for as long as she can.
I don’t think we can judge the quality of another person’s life. Only they know how they feel about it. Just because they are in a bed most of the time and can’t do many things doesn’t mean that they are necessarily less happy than someone who can lead a full life.
I believe that God helps us to cope no matter what situation we are in and life is valuable in all of its forms. We are all precious to him.
God bless you and help you to know that you are ‘wonderfully and fearfully made’ (Psalm 139) and valuable to him and to others,
Matthew 10:29-31
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Widows Mote 