And the Winner Is

Last night, my wife insisted on watching the Academy Awards on TV. On my rating scale, it lies somewhere between a colonoscopy without anesthesia and force-fed sweet cornbread being washed down by kale juice. It was that bad.

Since the last movie I saw was either “O Brother Where Art Thou” or “Billy Jack,” I knew nothing about any of these new films.

Here is the best way to describe these award shows: It is a bunch of non-important people, telling other non-important people how IMPORTANT they are. They don’t make movies like True Grit, To Kill a Mockingbird and Brian’s Song anymore. Today, you can go to any artificial information platform, give it a few details and a mindless plot and a 2-hour movie is spit out.

Each time I heard “And the Winner Is,” I got to thinking about the REAL winners in this game of life. Many go unnoticed and deserve an award bigger and better than the fake-gold Oscar trophy.

Here are a few:

How about giving an award to the underpaid and overworked elementary school teachers who also serve as nursemaids, baby-sitters, referees, counselors, snot wipers and undercover bankers? These warriors attempt to teach kids whose parents or parent couldn’t care less if Timmy or Missy learns to read or not. They are happy for the little rascals to be out of their hair so they can sit on the couch all day, chain-smoking while eating Cheetos and binge-watching The Price is Right.

Many of these parents don’t even know the teacher’s name but will jump at the chance to blame the teacher if their little angel struggles at school. The teacher spends an inordinate amount of time filling out forms and answering to educational bureaucrats who are in their position by way of the “Peter Principal:” screw up, move up.

Teachers never leave their job at 3 pm when the final bell rings. They have lesson plans, monthly reports and now, with the advent of email, they send notes to students and parents after hours in hopes of lighting a fire under them.

Growing up in an all-teacher household, I can attest to teachers being undercover bankers. When kids don’t have food or supplies, teachers often pay without fanfare, out of their own pockets. Since my Dad was our high school baseball coach, I saw him “gift” a pair of cleats or new glove to a player who couldn’t afford them, knowing he would never get repaid.

How about the hospice nurse who continues to hold the hand of a dying patient? They deserve an Oscar. It is definitely a calling, not a job. Name another health care “job” where you know the final outcome. Other nurses get to hug patients, parents, and family members after a successful surgery, treatment or even childbirth.

Not the hospice nurse. It’s important for us to pray for them and the stress they must endure. Their award is the hug and compliment from a family member who says: “We couldn’t have made it through these last couple of weeks without your help and love.”

Where is the award for the foster parents who get calls in the middle of the night that the authorities are bringing over another kid who is in a dangerous situation? We often forget that when there is domestic abuse fueled by drugs, the children have to go somewhere safe. Too many times, relatives aren’t the answer. That would perpetuate the adding fuel to the fire syndrome.

There aren’t nearly enough foster parents to go around. I recently talked with one who has helped “raise” more than 20 kids through the years. Some stayed just for days while others stayed for years. This couple never had kids of their own. Listening to some of their real-life movies would tear your heart out.

Thank God for these loving couples who open their doors and put others before self.

And the final award goes to the best supporting actor to the spouse of an Alzheimer’s patient. This spouse feels helpless and frustrated at the same time. Dementia takes a toll on the entire family. Often, the patient has the least amount of stress.

Like many of you, I know dozens of couples, some younger than me, who are struggling right now. It hurts to see a friend or relative going through the different stages of dementia. To me, it hurts even more to see the toll it takes on the “healthy” spouse who takes over of the caregiving duties.

These spouses are too often overlooked as they forget about their own health and become candidates for a stroke or heart attack. They deserve an award.

So, the next time we hear “and the winner is,” pause and remember the real winners.

Hollywood and Oscar would never understand.