On my street lives an elderly lady in a blue and white mobile home. I used to see her walk by with her black spaniel. The yard of her place is a bit rough looking. The grass gets cut, but the edges are full of weeds, and so is the flower bed. Getting older is not easy. your mind still wants to do all those things, but the body does not cooperate anymore. Today her garden is covered with snow again, after an April snow storm. It is only slowly melting, with the weather just above zero.
A year ago she asked a young woman in town to watch her dog while she went to the hospital for surgery. Ah, anaesthetic is not good for the elderly.
She came home, physically okay, but her mind had gone wandering.
She stopped walking her dog. Now she can't dress herself anymore, she forgets to eat or drink, or go places. Left to her own devices she would just sit on the couch.
But beautifully, she is not left to her own devices. She has a son in town who takes her to her appointments, a grandson who loves her, a daughter-in-law who cares for her, and the young woman stayed and helps her with the daily things she can't do anymore.
She gets picked up for coffee visits every Wednesday, and goes to the hockey games with her grandson.
Small town at work, fellowship alive.
The dog died, much to her sorrow. She enjoyed its company, and even in her confused mind, she misses her. Getting older is not easy.
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