Gertrude's Cupboard

Gertrude's Cupboard, E.J. Cockey, self-published, 2004

In this true story, the author spends her time as art therapist for dementia patients. Traveling to hospitals and other facilities in the Baltimore/Washington DC area, she firmly believes that, by getting them to focus on the project at hand, grief and despair about their situation can be momentarily relieved.

The author's son, Ben, is married and living in Florida. One day, she gets a phone call saying that Ben has attempted suicide. He will be in the hospital for a day or two, then he will be put out on the street. Ben's wife and her family are no help at all, due to accusations that Ben tried to hurt their newborn baby. It's around this time that the author meets a new patient, an 88-year-old woman named Gertrude.

Gertrude lives in one room in her daughter's house, with all her belongings stuffed into a dresser. Most times, Gertrude acts like the average patient with dementia, ornery and not very cooperative. When the author tells Gertrude about Ben, and about her upcoming emergency trip to Florida, out of the blue, Gertrude says "I'll pray for you."

The author experiences a genuine miracle or two flying to Florida, allowing her to get Ben, bring him back and nurse him back to health. She begins to think that maybe there is such a thing as a Higher Power, and maybe Gertrude has somehow tapped into it.

Here is a short and heart-warming story about good people showing up in unlikely places. When life gets difficult, this will give a much-needed dose of hope and optimism.