somethin' somethin'

Our Church went out into the community to do mission work on Sunday. We originally signed up to fill Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes. Lots of people signed up for the boxes so I told them to move us wherever we were needed. We went on a nursing home visit instead. Randy was frustrated. That was not his choice. However, in the end I think the change was meant to be.

We were blessed to chat with two remarkable woman. They both loved to talk about themselves and I loved listening.

The first one was 102. She has no visitors. She has no living relatives. Her only brother died suddenly at the age of 45. She was two years older than him. She told me this over and over. Bless her heart! She did not marry until she was in her 50's. She has no children. She is all alone. Her life was neither happy or unhappy, she told us. Just filled with lots of events. She would love for me to come back. When Randy prayed she squeezed my hand very hard. Abe said she squeezed his hand, too. I am planning on a visit this week. I will bring flowers and chocolate.

The second lady had five children and then her and her husband adopted a baby because she felt so sad with her kids grown. She had a married daughter, kids in college and a middle schooler, 9 year old and a baby. The baby grew up and died of HIV. He was 41. She did not like to admit he was gay, she told us. She was pregnant when she got married in 1939. Her mother-in-law arranged for an abortion after the wedding. She was married for 63 years and they never once talked about it. I'm not sure why she told me all of this.

I have been thinking how these two women dealt with sadness and grief. They both seem very strong and stoic. Don't they say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger? That must be true.

It just goes to show that everybody has their "something" that they deal with. Life's hard. And then you wind up in the nursing home.