December 2011 I just am not sure how it all happens.


It’s just life, I guess. We lead such busy lives once we marry and have children. There are so many demands. Trying to bal- ance work, maintain a home and getting the kids everywhere they need to be. We are the chauffeur, the attendant and most importantly, of course, as parents we are mentors responsible for teaching a host of lessons for living life successfully. In short, we are our children’s everything and we take that responsibility on with zeal. And there is plenty of payback. We get to share in and applaud every little suc- cess. And when those successes occur, the words proud parents could never be truer! Sometimes we are even lucky enough to learn that they want to grow up to emu- late and be just like us. There’s no feeling like it! And when the inevitable happens and the going gets tough, we also share in the difficult times, acting as confidants while providing comfort and support. We just get so immersed in all those oft hectic demands on our time and attention. I could easily make this article about raising our families and the joys of having children. But I am not writing about our trials and tribulations as we go about our daily rou- tines balancing the duties of being parents, life partners, a job, maintaining a house- hold and the myriad of demands on our time and attention.


It’s easy to forget that we too are our


parent’s children. Those parents, grand- parents and great grandparents provided us and our parents with the very same love and support we now work to impart to our children. They taught us life’s lessons. They were, and hopefully still are, our he- roes. So, when did it happen? When did we get so busy? Here’s a brief exchange that happens millions of times a day in some form, I am sure . . .


Sometimes Wishes Do Come True by Carol Malin


On any given day you might see 85 year old Temecula resident Darrell Cole tool-


ing around old town or even as far as Murrieta on his scooter. Darrell had polio early in life and in 1964 was again injured in an accident involving a drunk driver. Now his scooter is his lifeline with the outside world. And you can be sure when you see him that he will have his little dog and trusty sidekick Deletta Mae there riding along in the front basket with her little western outfit on. Darrell will be the first to tell you that Deletta Mae is family. He even shared, with a smile, that if you invite him anyplace and tell him to leave the dog at home, neither one of them will show up. And when he talks with you, there is a definite twinkle in his eye that coincides with his sly humor. Make no mistake; Darrell is one very sharp 85 year-old.


Darrell first moved to the Temecula area in 1984 and into Old Town in 1989 where


he still lives today. Other than Deletta Mae, he lives alone. After that accident back in 1964 Darrell was told he was paraplegic and would never walk again. But this is one man who will not be told what he can and can’t do when it comes to his own disabil- ity. Perhaps driven by need or by determination and more than likely by both, Darrell developed the ability to move around just enough using crutches to be able to transfer himself at home from his scooter to a chair or onto the rolling barstool he uses to get around in his kitchen.


Murrieta resident Marsha Anderson saw Darrell on his scooter and stopped to talk


13


When You Comin’ Home, Son? By Jay O’Neill


Hi honey, it’s Mom. I am having a


little difficulty getting around today. Do you think you might be able to come by later and help me out? I need to get to the market.


Oh, Mom! I am so busy! Can I call


you a little later after I see how my day is going? I will try.


And the intentions are good. But too


often that call back never gets made or if it does it is to say there just is no time. It’s so easy to get lost and so involved in the demands made on us that we forget or have to push our parents or senior rela- tives needs back on our list of priorities. It is entirely understandable and they know that. Often they just quietly and dutifully accept a back seat because they too have been there and they do understand.


So, as the holidays approach this year


this is a reminder to not forget our own heroes. Our time is measured. There may not always be an opportunity to say or do what it was in our hearts to say or do. We all have to work at making time to put our senior family members at the top of the list from time to time. It may not always be convenient. Life has a strange way of making us feel like our parents and loved ones will always be there. In the 70s there was a touching song by an artist named Harry Chapin titled “Cats in the Cradle.” It’s about a boy and his dad. The dad was always too busy as the son grew up and he wasn’t there for him. The son now puts off his dad when the dad asks, “When you comin’ home, Son?” Son: “I don’t know when but we’ll have a good time then, Dad. You know we’ll have a good time then.”


Have a Blessed Holiday Season with your families and loved ones.


Jay ONeill, GLOBAL MEDICAL EQUIP- MENT and SUPPLIES, INC.


with him one day. Marsha is president and founder of an organization called Seniors Having One Wish Foundation (SHOW). It is the polar opposite of the Make a Wish Foundation for children. Marsha spoke with Darrell for a bit and noted that his scooter was in very distressed condition. It was held together in places with duct tape and he shared that the brakes no longer worked properly. SHOW is a new charitable organiza- tion without much in the way of funding just yet but Marsha was going to find a way to get Darrell a new scooter. She approached Global Medical Equipment and Supplies, Inc in Murrieta for help.


She asked if Global Medical Equipment would be interested in making the very


first major donation to the very first recipient of the foundation. The owners at Global Medical Equipment jumped on board. In the ensuing days Marsha tracked Darrell down and arranged for one of the Global owners and their manager to meet Darrell and evalu- ate his scooter to determine how his needs could best be met. After meeting Darrell and determining his needs, Global Medical decided that they were in a position to help and the work began on preparing a new scooter and choosing a date for the presentation.


On November 2 at Global Medical Equipment’s store in Murrieta Marsha Ander-


son and the SHOW Foundation made its first donation to its first recipient Mr. Darrell Cole of a new


Four wheel red scooter. At the presentation Darrell shared that he hadn’t slept well


the night before in anticipation of getting the new scooter. Darrell wasn’t alone. That anticipation was shared by all that were involved in getting him his new scooter. Ride on Darrell in good health!


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