November 15 - To the Nines and Nineties
Some of my favourite ladies are over age 90! This may be old news, but it’s worth a continuing celebration.
First off, there’s my mom – Grannie Marj as she is commonly called – who is 91, lives in her own home, drives her van, and has lots of friends and helpers. Men still flirt with my mother and she flirts back, which is “interesting.”
Grandma Gabe – Laur’s mom – lives in a wonderful retirement community – Chelsey Park - in London, Ontario. As I’ve posted before, she was many friends and interests there. And she has a gentleman friend whose company she enjoys.
Then there is Irja – who I think of as Great Aunt Irja – even though we aren’t related by blood. We are very much related by spirit, and, up until a few years ago, we were Ministry partners, seeing folks from our church who were homebound, and visiting the unvisited in nursing homes.
On Tuesday I had the opportunity of catching with two more beautiful ladies. Irene I think is 93 and, up until two years ago, was still the organist at our church. Irene always dresses “to the nines” – hat and heels too. Irene is currently at a Continuing Care centre in Sudbury, having fallen and broken her leg. She was well enough to have surgery and have everything put back together. Her complaint in all of this isn’t pain – but that she can’t stand sitting idle. She has so many things she wants to do, but won’t be able to for six weeks. Energy to burn, that gal.
Another friend, Ruth, is living at a Villa. Silly me, I went down to her room to see her but she was in the Common Room enjoying a memory game. (I couldn’t even remember how I got in there, let alone how I was going to get out.) I asked the Activities person if it would be OK if I borrowed Ruth for a visit and he said, “No worries, she joins in all the activities.” She looked beautiful – lilac sweater and matching nail polish. And she is so gracious – inquiring of my family and thanking me for the visit.
*****
I was speaking to my Massage Therapist today at the end of a session, and he said “You’re good for another 30 or 40 years.” I laughed and said, “I hope so – I’d love to live to be 96.” He said, “Are you sure about that?!” And I described my mom and how much she enjoys playing with her great granddaughter Emma and going on mini-trips with her friend Minta; and she has a wide array of Kuerig coffees and favorite TV programs to try out. She looks forward to every day – always something new, mixed in with the old.
I acknowledge that there are folks in their 90s who no longer want to live – too much physical and emotional pain. But there are those you are thriving. Phyllis Sues is a 90 year old columnist for the Huffington Post. At 80 she tackled the trapeze, at 85 she walked into her first yoga class, and at 90 she went skydiving AND LOVED IT! She can’t wait to do it again. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/phyllis-sues-/
I shared this story with my husband with glee. And I also told him that we had a young senior man join our yoga class today and he really liked it, discovered muscles and joints he didn’t know he had.
Says Phyllis, “Life is not easy, but it sure beats not being here at all.”
Hubs pointed out that Phyllis is a widow, and is not convinced that the trapeze might not have had something to do with it…
First off, there’s my mom – Grannie Marj as she is commonly called – who is 91, lives in her own home, drives her van, and has lots of friends and helpers. Men still flirt with my mother and she flirts back, which is “interesting.”
Grandma Gabe – Laur’s mom – lives in a wonderful retirement community – Chelsey Park - in London, Ontario. As I’ve posted before, she was many friends and interests there. And she has a gentleman friend whose company she enjoys.
Then there is Irja – who I think of as Great Aunt Irja – even though we aren’t related by blood. We are very much related by spirit, and, up until a few years ago, we were Ministry partners, seeing folks from our church who were homebound, and visiting the unvisited in nursing homes.
On Tuesday I had the opportunity of catching with two more beautiful ladies. Irene I think is 93 and, up until two years ago, was still the organist at our church. Irene always dresses “to the nines” – hat and heels too. Irene is currently at a Continuing Care centre in Sudbury, having fallen and broken her leg. She was well enough to have surgery and have everything put back together. Her complaint in all of this isn’t pain – but that she can’t stand sitting idle. She has so many things she wants to do, but won’t be able to for six weeks. Energy to burn, that gal.
Another friend, Ruth, is living at a Villa. Silly me, I went down to her room to see her but she was in the Common Room enjoying a memory game. (I couldn’t even remember how I got in there, let alone how I was going to get out.) I asked the Activities person if it would be OK if I borrowed Ruth for a visit and he said, “No worries, she joins in all the activities.” She looked beautiful – lilac sweater and matching nail polish. And she is so gracious – inquiring of my family and thanking me for the visit.
*****
I was speaking to my Massage Therapist today at the end of a session, and he said “You’re good for another 30 or 40 years.” I laughed and said, “I hope so – I’d love to live to be 96.” He said, “Are you sure about that?!” And I described my mom and how much she enjoys playing with her great granddaughter Emma and going on mini-trips with her friend Minta; and she has a wide array of Kuerig coffees and favorite TV programs to try out. She looks forward to every day – always something new, mixed in with the old.
I acknowledge that there are folks in their 90s who no longer want to live – too much physical and emotional pain. But there are those you are thriving. Phyllis Sues is a 90 year old columnist for the Huffington Post. At 80 she tackled the trapeze, at 85 she walked into her first yoga class, and at 90 she went skydiving AND LOVED IT! She can’t wait to do it again. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/phyllis-sues-/
I shared this story with my husband with glee. And I also told him that we had a young senior man join our yoga class today and he really liked it, discovered muscles and joints he didn’t know he had.
Says Phyllis, “Life is not easy, but it sure beats not being here at all.”
Hubs pointed out that Phyllis is a widow, and is not convinced that the trapeze might not have had something to do with it…