Meals on Wheels

Meals on Wheels is a national organization which allows people to remain in their homes, and have nutritious food brought right to their door.
When my husband first answered the add in our local paper, I felt an overwhelming sense of pride in him. He came home from the first orientation meeting with a new white shirt sporting the “RSVP” Retired Senior Volunteer Person” on it , and a folder containing an actual application, so he could see the process the clients went through to become recipients of Meals on Wheels. His enthusiasm bubbled over. He was proud of the fact that he would be contributing to, especially senior citizens being allowed to remain in their homes for just a little while longer. He felt it was like a last ditch effort at giving them independence.
The organization in our town was just beginning, so there we not that many clients initially, or volunteers. My husband and his partner had a great time that first day. One drove, while the other delivered.
Later that week the person in charge of Meals on Wheels called to inform my husband he wouldn’t have a partner the next week, did he think he could do it by himself, or did he want them to try to find someone else to help him? My husband put his hand over the phone, “honey, do you think you could go with me next week?”
I quickly checked my calendar, and nodded.
That was three years ago. My husband and I consider our weekly contribution to Meals on Wheels a “date”. It’s extra time we get to spend together. He loves delivering the meals, and I love driving him. While he is inside the two or three minutes it takes, I’m sitting in the car saying a special prayer for those precious people.
I no longer think of it as us “giving”, because Meals on Wheels has become a blessing to us.