GIVING THANKS TODAY...by a Canadian

We have had our new guy for one week now. OMG! what a pleasure he is. It is like night and day from our previous client who just moved. I realize that in my choice of work, there is a reason all these adults need to live in foster care and over the years I have to had to deal with many different kinds of needs. Luc is an obvious high needs case all around but our previous border Martin, being very functional was a hand full nonetheless. He never appreciated anything we did for him and always wanted more using munipulation by any means. So having dealt with that for 10 yrs makes it that much more enjoyable to have a client that is the sheer opposite to that.
Ray seems really happy to be here. During his initial visit here he loved his room from the start, even was surprised when I told him it would be getting a fresh coat of paint before he moved in. Then when he finally did he was very pleased to help put his stuff away. I used that incentive to get him to purch alot of acumulated useless stuff even including a couple unmatched bedside tables he brought with him from his former residense. Frankly it bewilders me that they sent such delapitated pieces of crap. I think over time these clients with the help of the family they are living with could finance a few nice things of their own. I mean geez..

Ray has what had been discribed as his own comfortable tv chair...it's the ugliest feking chair I ever saw! I am telling you right now, it isn't going to live here a day past xmas. We did not paint and fix up a nice room to have it sharply contrastED with a 35 yr old wooden chair with brown/yellow coushins with a acordian fringe in same fabric stapled directly to the wood of the chair..my first thought was HOW AM I GOING TO REAPOSTER THIS MONSTROSITY!...I then decided a minute later that IT WASN'T GOING TO HAPPEN. There are many really nice reclining chairs in fake or real leather that aren't huge but really comfortable and even have a matching foot stool for 100$ or less then 200$. He is already looking forward to going shopping with us next month to chose one he likes. He has enough in his account for one in that price range and even if he didn't I would have bought it to finance it over time for him. We also got him different organizing tools for his belts and shoes and a sturdy coat rack for his packsac and winter coat etc...

He was so happy at the trouble we took to make his room special just for him. He is always smiling and even sings a few words here and there for no apparent reason lol. He likes to be helpful like shovelling the snow or putting a new role of toilet paper on the holder. He is so proud to help. Chris and I are constantly smiling at his perpetual thankyous and sweet nature. We will both enjoy and appreciate the differences in him that we hadn't previously witnessed in clients before. We also realize that the *honeymoon stage* will be over soon but for the most part I had known Ray to be of pretty good nature anyway. He has difficulty with his diction so we are getting used to understanding what he is trying to say at times but he repeats when we need him too.

All in all we have had a great week getting to know Ray our new client/border. It just reasures me 100 fold about the good decision I took in having Martin move after caring for him 10 yrs. Granted I will get less money for Ray. Thats the way it works. He is less difficult to care for but it's not only about the money..it is also about peace of mind and quality of life. Luc is much more work but it's more of a physical nature caring for him. I think I have found a good balance now with both clients. If we are able to buy a bigger home eventually I wouldn't mind having one or two more but that will only be if I have alot of room to do a good job and have a continued quality of life. I could not do this job without the enormous help and support I get from Chris. Takes a big man to accept this kind of homelife and to then become an integral part of my whole support system. I am such a lucky woman.

Today as I write this on the day that my american friends call THANKS GIVING....even as a Canadian....I have so much to be THANKFULL FOR......

HAPPY THANKS GIVING TO ALL MY AMERICAN FRIENDS!!