Betty
Betty
Betty is a homeless person who once lived in our church's parking lot. She camped in an old van along with her cat and all her worldly possessions. She parked her van in the lot every night, left each morning for somewhere else (we never knew where she went), and then returned each evening. She lived in our lot for well over ten years.
Being a church, we try to help such people. We tried to refer Betty to community organizations who could help her. She wanted no part of them. We tried to arrange other housing arrangements for her. Again, she wouldn't budge. So, we just gave up and gave her a key to one of the public restrooms on the grounds.
Betty is not crazy, but she definitely is eccentric and speaks her mind. She would get after the church gardeners if they cut down her favorite plants. She would chew out parishioners if they made too much noise at evening events. She never came to church even when invited, wanting nothing to do with it. With her being that cantankerous, at times, I tried to avoid her; others, more patient, just let her opine as she wished. You may wonder why we put up with her-- why we never called the police and had her evicted. That's just not what we do. Besides, aren't we all a little eccentric and curmudgeonly at times? And, finally, I think all of us at some level thought: "what if that were me?"
Betty is dying now. She has some sort of cancer. Church leaders have helped her get proper medical care and are now seeing her through hospice (thankfully she is not in the van anymore). Her concern is finding a home for her cat and having her van disposed (which is being arranged). Our church leaders are with her as often as they are able. As one put it to me last night, "we're all she has. We're her family." He's right.
Should we feel sorry for Betty, that she has lived a life in vain? Not at all. I never saw her feel sorry for herself. She is a true free spirit. She is teaching us compassion. She is teaching us to love the seemingly "unlovable". She teaches us the meaning of dignity.
Thank you Betty, for blessing our lives.
posted by The Gate Keeper @ 1:11 PM
5 comments
The 
5 Comments:
We have/had a lady like Betty in our city and she was very happy just to be free. She played the piano at times in an upmarket department store, and everyone enjoyed listening. But she was her own spirit. Everyone deserves that, I agree. You have been part of her life.
Betty has become a "part of the family" In fact, she watered the plants and let our staff know when something went amiss at night on the grounds. Our pastor took the brunt whenever she was in a "mood" but I can tell he's very distressed over her condition and visits her everyday at the hospice. It's strange how people get under your skin and affect your life.
In many ways Betty is the essence of creativity - totally unrestrained and free.
I love the fact that your church got involved so personally with Betty, while giving her the freedom to live her own life.
We have a major problem at our church with vagrants in the cemetery, mostly drunks and gang members. We have tried offering help, but they frighten and harrass pepople coming to visit the graves. One lay half naked and drunk in front of Pastor's house and masturbated. Our only solution is to try to keep them out or call the police. It kills us to turn them away.
We take each case as they come. We had a guy move into our education building with his motorcycle. We had to ask him to leave. Strange men, motorcycles and small children are a dangerous mix. Betty is grouchy but she is harmless.
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