By Hailey Megge, Summer Intern
Well it’s safe to say that after this summer I have some new life goals to add to my list. Right after, “Become a Saint” (of course) is: “Beat Ms. Dora at Chinese Checkers” and “Beat Ms. Elaine at Scrabble.” Believe me, they are some lofty goals!
My three weeks interning with The Little Sisters of the Poor at their Mullen Home in Denver, Colorado can be described no other way than handcrafted by the loving hands of Jesus and given to me as a complete gift. I am certain that He touched each and every moment of my time spent in the Home saturating them with radiant joy, peace, fun, laughter, and most importantly, with love—so much love!
Jesus totally knows my heart because I was scheduled to work in activities for the time I was there. From spending quality girl time with the Residents painting nails, playing Bingo, crafting picture frames, breaking out the dumb bells for morning exercise (Mullen Home now has the strongest, nimblest Residents after Master Exercise Instructor Hailey finished with them!)…they sure kept me busy! We even learned a bunch of “Oldies” to include “Strike up the Band” and “Yankee Doodle Boy” to put on a concert for the Residents complete with Patriotic cookies and a wonderful 4th of July cookout! “Do your friends know that you know all those old songs?!” Sr Mary Augustin teased! It was beautiful to see the life in the Residents’ eyes knowing that they had fun activities to participate in throughout each day to keep them busy…and having fun too! Life is and should be fun if lived with love!
As much fun as the activities were, it was the quality time spent with individuals that most deeply touched my heart. We went on walks around the beautiful grounds of the Mullen Home admiring the beautiful flowers and soaking up the warm sunshine. We read stories on the porch or just sat and chatted about our families. When we encounter each other, we encounter Christ. I know for certain that I encountered Christ in each one of the Residents and Sisters I was blessed to build friendships with.
St. Jeanne Jugan was, without a doubt, praying for me while I was with the Little Sisters. The quote of hers that kept coming to mind was “If Jesus was here, He would love them.” It is not easy to love as Jesus loves. It is not easy to love those we know, not to mention those we don’t know! But that’s exactly what Jesus asks us to do—to love unconditionally all whom He places in our path. To love, to serve, to wash each other’s feet. Serving the Residents was one of the greatest joys of my life because in them, I saw Jesus and Jesus’ beating heart is the source of my joy. So thank you—thank you to the Little Sisters for loving me and giving me this opportunity to grow in Christ’s love and thank you to the Residents for embodying our Lord and inviting me into your lives. You are such a blessing to me. You all remain in my daily prayers!
With all my love, your sister in Christ,
Hailey
My Time at the Mullen Home