Gratitude Spotlight: Meet Paul — Hope, Home, and Laughter Restored

Gratitude Spotlight: Meet Paul — Hope, Home, and Laughter Restored

After nearly 50 years together, Paul and Sharon still make each other laugh. Married for 45 of those years, they met through friends in Balta and tied the knot at Zion Lutheran Church in Minot. They have lived everywhere from Arizona to North Dakota, but one thing has never changed: their devotion to each other. “We’ve been lovers for a long time,” Paul said with a grin. Sharon laughed and added, “He used to spoil me rotten. He’d run my bath water, buy me jewelry, and even massage my feet.”

Their love and humor have carried them through hard times. When Paul’s health declined and his vertigo worsened, the stairs to their apartment became too dangerous. After a hospital stay, he spent nine long months in a nursing home, the longest they had ever been apart. “It was torture,” Sharon said. “Everything kept going against us. We lost two apartments before we finally got this one.” She visited him every day, bringing home-cooked food because, as Paul said, “The food there was terrible!” Sharon laughed and said, “He couldn’t walk or talk much, and I just kept feeding him until I got him back.”

When Paul finally came home, Sharon made him fried potatoes and onions, his favorite meal. “He just kept hugging me,” she said. “He told me, ‘I love my bed. Oh, it’s so beautiful.’”

Everything started turning around when Sanford Home Health referred them to Independence, Inc. “We had never heard of them before,” Sharon said, “but once they got involved, everything changed.” Through the Money Follows the Person and HCBS programs, Independence helped them find a safe, accessible home and provided what Paul needed, including an adjustable bed, a shower chair, lamps, and furniture to make it feel like home.

“Chris was amazing,” Paul said. “He’s the kindest man, gentle, patient, and good-hearted. He talked us off the ledge more than once.” Sharon added, “They got us everything we needed so Paul could come home and be safe. Independence didn’t just help us, they stuck with us.”

Moving home felt like freedom. “It felt like free at last, free at last,” Paul said.

In just a few weeks, his strength began to return. He is walking more with his walker and already dreaming about new adventures. “I want to get a motorized scooter,” Paul said. “Then I’ll hook up a wagon for Sharon, and we’ll ride over to Badlands for the salad bar.” Sharon smiled and said, “We can walk there from our apartment. He’s already got it all planned out.”

Even with ongoing health challenges, they find ways to celebrate life. Sharon, who has been on dialysis for seven years, dresses up every Friday for what she calls Fancy Friday to celebrate another week of strength.

When asked what he is most proud of, Paul did not hesitate. “Marrying my wife,” he said. Sharon rolled her eyes and laughed, “Well, he better be.”

As they look ahead, the couple is grateful to have each other and the support of Independence, Inc. “Reach out to Independence,” Paul said.

“They are the true meaning of the word. They will prove you can be independent if you get the right help.” Sharon smiled and said, “This is our new beginning. It’s going to be joyful. And Chris, well, he’s already earned his golden wings for heaven.”