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| 93 and scarfing spaghetti!
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I have this wonderful neighbor down the court yard from me who is 93 years old. I call her Miss Becky. I met Miss Becky one afternoon when I was walking to get my mail from the mail center and she was standing on her balcony and said hi. She called me to come into her house that day. I was surprised and had seen her before, so I figured she was lonely. I stopped by for a bit. She told me she thought I was someone else and was glad we met.
This was about a year ago. Since then, I visit her once a week and bring her dinner when I visit. Tonight I had planned to come home from work and made Spaghetti. I called her from my cell phone while driving home and asked her if she wanted some, now Miss Becky is very, very hard of hearing. So when I asked her on the phone if she had eaten dinner and if she was hungry. She said, “Yes, I will eat burnt bread if you make it for me.” I laughed so hard I almost wrecked my Jeep! After yelling the words at the top of my lungs, she finally realized what I was asking her.
So, I came home and made spaghetti and put some in a container for her. I took it up to her and made her a plate. As she sat there eating it as if it were the first meal she had eaten in years, I started to softly cry.
I think one of the things that I love most about Miss Becky, is that she reminds me of my grandmother. Now, my Nana died in 2004 after a long battle with cancer. I miss her greatly. I spent the last three and a half years of her life living with her and being her companion. I learned things from her that will stay with me the rest of my life. I taught her things that brought her joy as she was fading away. She I now spending time with Jesus in Heaven and I would never wish to take that away, but I do miss her presence in my life.
Miss Becky treats me like a grand daughter. I am proud of that. It pains me to see her hands shake as she takes small bites of food. She can barely hold a glass to her lips without spilling it. My heart aches when I leave.
She finished the spaghetti that I put on her plate and said she would enjoy the rest for lunch tomorrow. I will stop by and she how she is doing then.
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Posted by heatherslife on 2008-03-20 22:49:04 | Rating: | Views: 64
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I more people like you,took care of the elderly we have in this country,it would be a much better place
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Posted by Joeskee112400
on 2008-03-21 01:40:28
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Thank you Joeskee. I hope that when I am older and in need of a companion, that I will be blessed with someone special.
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Posted by heatherslife
on 2008-03-21 01:44:23
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Such a nice story Heather,thank you for sharing.I had a neighbor Myrtle,she has been in assisted living for a few years.We go and see her on Sundays.She has always given me so much through her wisdom always a bright spot in my day.So many of our seniors are forgotten.And yet we owe them so much.
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Posted by pitapie50
on 2008-03-21 07:58:38
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I might be compelled to make you spaghetti at that time:P Mmm, spaghetti...could really go for some:P Dang Friday. It sounds like you are doing a good thing. But, you eat a pound of heartache for every plate you share with this afflicted woman. It would be very hard for me to be on my own, alone and doing this for someone else...I think Id need a shoulder to come back to after and cry on.
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Posted by brainstormer
on 2008-03-21 21:55:34
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If Miss Becky is afflicted, it is only with loneliness. But I find that even though it does break my heart when I visit her, it also makes me happy to do so.
She may repeat over and over the things she has told me in the past, but the more she talks, the more I learn.
I just hope that the only thing wrong with me at 93 is being lonely.
I guess each of us has our own way that we are leaving our foot print on this Earth. This is one of mine.
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Posted by heatherslife
on 2008-03-22 00:54:50
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