November 6, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. The shower.

Ken is perfectly capable of taking a shower by himself. This afternoon I took a nap. From the bathroom I could hear Kashina's voice. "Lift up your right arm," I could hear her say. Then,"now your left," "I forgot to wash your beard and mustache". "Now turn around so I can scrub your back." Kashina was helping Ken take a shower. It was very sweet. Evidently, when Ken told Kashina that he was going to take a shower, she offered to help so he said yes. When the shower was over, I could hear Ken say that that was the best shower he has had in months. Clearly, he liked the assistance. Kashina is our helper. She is a good one. She has a CNA certificate, which means, Certified Nursing Assistant and it shows. She expertly bandaged Ken's arm. And she can put drops in his eyes easily, which is difficult for me to do. In a short period of time, she has become indispensable to us. She helps Ken do his exercises and she walks with him for about 20 minutes each day. And she helps at home, doing the laundry and emptying the dishwasher and putting out the trash. But the most important part of her task is her kindness to Ken. She is dear to Ken, encouraging and light hearted. But listening to her instructions to Ken this afternoon took the cake. I suspect that Ken will take all his showers when she is working. He has always been a smart man.