When I was growing up, every Saturday night was movie night. It was the only night we were allowed to stay up late. Some of you may remember the show, “Saturday Night at the Movies”.  Every week featured family-friendly movies. As kids, we didn’t care what movie was on, because the whole idea was to stay up late. My parents took over the couch, and proceeded to fall asleep from 9 to 11 and wake up to send us to bed. We still have Saturday night at the movies in my family. One night we watched a great football movie, Remember the Titans. It’s an awesome true story about racial integration, family and friendship.  If you haven’t seen it, I give it 5 stars of 5.

In the movie, there is a scene where one of the players is injured. His best friend arrives at the hospital to see him. The nurse tells him that only family can see him.  The injured athlete says, “can’t you see the resemblance, this is my brother.”  The injured guy is white; the best friend is black.

I think life imitates art.  A few weeks ago, I went to one of our houses with Pat Martin, a KenCrest nurse, to visit Charlie. I had met him earlier this year, and she told me to expect to see real changes in him, and not for the better.  Charlie has lived in one of our homes for years, was at one time quite a dancer and  overall, a happy person. He now has Alzheimer’s and struggles each day to enjoy the moment. One of the staff who works with him was thinking of transferring to another home.  When we arrived the staffer told Pat, “I am staying, I can’t leave my Dad.”

I was at first confused until he clarified that he sees Charlie as his Dad.  Same difference as the movie is that Charlie is white and the staffer is black.   Some moments on the job are hard to capture, hard to put into words, but this one will replay in my mind like the favorite scene of a movie.  We can be thankful that we can serve Charlie. And we can be thankful for Charlie’s son.