Street walking
I have a delightful and very dear, ninety year old friend. She is dying, or so she has been told repeatedly for several years now. She is on and off of hospice care, and on and off with visiting nurse care. I call her as often as I can, without seeming to be a pest. Her mind is keen, and above all, she has retained a sense of humor.
The other day, after she questioned me about what I’d been “getting into lately,” I asked her how things were going with her. She still lives in her own home. She said, “Well, you know, I have these babysitters every night. In the morning, they have to fill out a log book as to what I have been doing…every little detail.”
She sighed and continued, “This morning, the girl didn’t know what to write, so I said, “Write this down: The client was restless and wanted to drive around all night in my car to look for a street we could walk on, but unfortunately, all the streets had been rolled up.” She laughingly reported that the girl had written that down, as instructed.
Isn’t humor a marvelous thing? For my friend, it has gotten her through the rough spots. No matter how bad anything is, she finds a way to look at the situation in a humorous way. No, “the sky is falling, the sky is falling,” for that spry one!
I sure will miss my friend. I am not ready to lose her yet. Perhaps, I am being selfish about that. I appreciate how she has a way of taking the weight of the world off of my shoulders. They say that laughter is the best medicine.
On my front page, I have a quotation, “Laugh at yourself and you will be forever amused.” Enjoy humor and you will walk with a lighter step.
By the way, watch out for those ninety year olds who aspire to go street walking at night!
