I wasn’t sure how my stepdad, Jack, would react to living in a nursing home. He had always been so active, strong, and such a hard worker. He was tough as nails and sweet as cake.
Initially, he went to a health care facility for physical therapy after heart surgery. He had many many outstanding health conditions. Being an old Marine, he battled them all and kept his head high, however, the fact remained, he needed a place to live with constant care.
Much to my delight he took to the nursing home like a duck to water. I was totally and pleasantly surprised to discover how much he liked the facility.
He had a good roommate and they made fast friends. Their room quickly became the “cool residents” room. People came there to tell stories and laugh.
One day, Jack told me he wanted to develop an organization called COFFEE WITH THE VETS; a weekly meeting where veterans could gather and share their military experiences, keep up with current military issues, and help other veterans in need.
This sounded like a great idea to me. Jack and I partnered with the facilities spiritual counselor who had extensive graphic art background and we three commenced to make Jacks dream come to fruition.
WONDERFUL DREAMS DO COME TRUE. -To live forever.
Coupled with a lot of time and Jacks enthusiastic determination Coffee with the Vets became a reality. The first meetings were met with sparse attendance and shy discussions. These quickly grew into a packed room and lots of lively conversations, some were very serious and emotional and some light and funny. As the weeks went by, the vets got more familiar with each other and welcomed newcomers.
The group was not exclusive to the nursing home residents, veterans were coming from the outside bringing other vets to join in the meetings. All branches of the military were represented and there was lots of good hearted kidding about which branch was the superior. One thing I noticed was the unwavering camaraderie, patriotism, and dedication to our country these veterans all shared.
Soon, the group expanded to the dining room. Coffee with the Vets had sponsors who provided snacks, baked goods, and drinks each week and of course, lots of coffee.
Coffee with the Vets website was up and running, displaying an official logo, media kit, and business cards were printed.
An old disabled soldier armed with only a newspaper and his dream brought other veterans memories alive and shared, creating common ground and lifetime bonds.
So the moral of this story is to never give up on your dreams. If this rough old Marine could make his dream come true while living with 53 medical issues, in a healthcare facility, at age 85, then dreams can become reality. “If there’s a will, there’s a way” is very true.
God bless Jack. His inspiration is his legacy.
JACK BABCOCK: An old disabled soldier armed with only a newspaper and his dream brought other veterans memories alive and shared, creating common ground and lifetime bonds.