Drinking from the cup of suffering

Accompanying the elderly as they face the task of simply living

By Sr. Norma Samar
May/June 2012

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More than a year has passed since I finished a Personal Support Worker course at George Brown College in Toronto. My work now is an expression of my missionary call to people who are enduring suffering. Since completing the course, I have been a companion to elderly people in need as they face the tasks of simply living. Going to their homes, I also meet their families who are relieved that they are not alone in caring for their loved ones, and I try to reach out to them as well.

In her ministry as a Personal Support Worker, Norma is a companion to elderly people in Toronto.

I help my clients to bathe themselves, ensuring their safety while respecting their privacy. I prepare food and just be present, chatting with them and encouraging them to once again open their eyes and minds to the beauty of nature and of life.

In school, the members of my class came from different backgrounds. There were a few men, but the group was made up mostly of women. They came from Asia, Europe, Africa and Jamaica. The course was very interesting and each of the students had a different experience to share, according to their culture and life circumstances.

As a Personal Support Worker I have learned to be not just a helper, but a companion to each client. I tend to their physical needs, but also sometimes to their private, personal, even spiritual needs. I have also learned the importance of respecting their dignity and their independence. My primary concern is to show respect and compassion towards each person. I think that is the most fulfilling part of my work.

Patience is a must in dealing with the elderly. It is important to have a positive attitude and to try to under-stand each person’s situation, especially those with Alzheimers. Their suffering is so deep that they easily get angry, particularly when they cannot express what they want to say.

I see now that much of my work is a manifestation of my commitment as a missionary Sister to serve the poor and needy. I can relate my work to the overseas missions, accompanying those who are suffering in the community. Most of my clients are not considered to be materially poor; in fact, most of them have enough for their basic needs, but their families are unable to take care of them for many different reasons.

This new ministry has enriched my life in many ways. Spiritually, this is a time for me to ponder on the pain of each individual. Using whatever name they may have for the Creator, I try to help them reflect on how God is really present with them in their suffering.

My clients are teaching me to be silent in my being and to be more compassionate as I share my time and energy with them. I see the importance of my having a good relationship with the family members so that they themselves can enjoy the time they all have together. Thus I come into communion with the people God sends my way every day, sharing the cup of their suffering and the cup of their joy.

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