I was a little apprehensive before going to Lourdes. I didn’t expect to get chosen and I wasn’t quite sure why I was picked! I had had very little experience with the sick and elderly and had never pushed a wheelchair in my life!
So after checking in bright and early at 5 am Monday morning you can imagine my reaction when Margaret’s wheelchair was thrust into my hands! Luckily, two things calmed my nerves in the airport on the way to Lourdes:
Firstly, realizing that Margaret was extremely nice and that she had never flown before so was more nervous than I was! And secondly, realizing the amount of very attractive boys around me! Lourdes boys seem to have both the looks and the charm! Who can resist a boy who’s nice to old ladies?
So, I wheeled Margaret to our gate thankful that she didn’t mind my L-plate driving ( I think I was enjoying the view a bit too much at times!), I got her a cup of tea and the paper and helped her board the plane. After much sitting, wishing, waiting and hoping we all arrived in Lourdes where our blue-shirt buses were awaiting. The journey to our Hotel was short but sweet and full of beautiful views of the Pyrenees. When we arrived at our hotel we grabbed a quick lunch and them rushed to the achaille to attend to our duties and introduce ourselves to our wards.
I was working in a ward looking after six elderly men; Rocky, a very immobile man who I discovered had a very unholy mind to go with his cheeky grin; Joseph, the wises 90 something year old gentleman I have every come across; Tommy, a father Jack lookalike who got just as angry when you woke him!; Dez, a musical fanatic who was known for his rendition of ‘JERUSALEM’ and Patrick, a philosophical character who I got to know very well.
On Thursday morning when I arrived in my ward at around 7 o’clock to hope out, I was given the job of mopping the ward’s bathrooms. Seeing me with mop in hand Patrick, it being his first time coming to Lourdes with the Diocese asked me “How much are they paying you?’. When I replied that Iwas a volunteer here to help look after him, he asked “sure what would you be helping me for?”. From then on he seemed intrigued by me. Patrick then decided to test my intelligence by calling me an “a hole” thing I wouldn’t understand.
Despite our friendship getting off to a bad start, Patrick and I actually become quite close. He loved a good debate and we would speculate on topics from philosophy to politics to why water dries out your skin instead of moisturizing it. Over time I discovered just how lonely Patrick was and loved keeping him company and fuelling his imagination. In turn he helped me by encouraging me to pursue what I want most in life and reassuring me that I could do it. On the first day when I asked Patrick if he was enjoying himself he replied ‘Not really@ and that he really wouldn’t come back again. I realised that I really had achieved something in Lourdes when on the last day I asked him the same question and he told me that he had had a brilliant time and hoped to return next year. Making that week enjoyable for just Patrick would been enough to make all the hard work worthwhile.
It turns out myself, Alice and Roz managed to entertain all the rest of the pilgrims in a different way with our impromptu acapella group called ‘Fleur and the Fleurettes’ – I must add at this point that we didn’t come up with the name ourselves!
After singing our three-part harmony version of ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’ for prairie one night, people were somewhat impressed and word go round of our little act. We ended up participating in and winning the Lourdes X Factor competition and singing our party piece countless times! The most worthwhile of all these performances were to those who were bedridden and unable to leave their wards for the sing songs. They were the most appreciative audience and seeing the joy in their faces when we came in to do a special performance made us really feel like we were making a difference.
On that note, I would like to encourage the 5th years to apply to go to Lourdes. Even if you don’t think you have what it takes, if you want to hope and make a difference in people’s lives, give it a shot and who know? It would be a life-changing experience for you too!
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