Morales: A Lifelong Friendship

Ashley Morales

Dr. Rowe

Expository Writing

November 14, 2013

            About two summers ago, I went to Washington D.C to work with the Missionaries of Charity. The Missionaries of Charity is a convent whose founder was Blessed Mother Teresa. Living in the basement of a nursing home that the nuns own, was for about 2 months. The home was for both men and women who either came out of jail or needed a place to stay, as well as elders who couldn’t be taken care of by there family members, or for some who had different types of diseases.  It was a life changing experience. I worked with the nuns, and helped them with taking care of the women. Most were bed ridden, so I would bathe, change, and feed these women.

I met a woman, Lizzie, who had a disease, HIV/AIDS. She was from Trinidad, and did not speak much English, but if you put on a Michael Jackson song she’d sing it as if she was fluent. Not knowing much of AIDs the nuns told me to always wear gloves, and not stay to close to her. I was slightly upset because I thought they were somewhat depriving her. The nuns saw the sorrow on my face whenever they would give me a pair of gloves when helping Lizzie, so they took me aside and explained to me that it is for my own health. The nuns told me that HIV travels throughout the human body, and is prone to Tuberculosis; which one of the other ladies had. The healthier a person is under the impression that the virus can be spread by the touch of the skin Now understanding that it was not to push Lizzie away, it was for my own benefit and for the other workers around me. The nuns always told me to think about what I have and how I am blessed with a healthy immune system, a cold will not kill me but it will kill them.

To Conclude, I have encountered the suffering and struggle of a young woman, in her thirties, a good friendship that I would never forget. Whether feeding her or just singing “You Rock My World” it’s a relationship I would always remember.