Watching clouds and dreaming the day away

Today I went with Bertie to Springfield,Missouri to visit her 101-year old Aunt in a nursing home. Aunt Margie didn’t want to be awakened for lunch, but eating isn’t an option at that age. Bert said she’s gotten more demented since her last birthday. So we followed her into the dining room.

Perhaps it’s because I just turned 72 that I have a heightened awareness of age. I don’t have any family to visit me if I should be a resident. As we clustered around the Auntie, I struck up conversations of sorts with two women at the table, Donna and Marilyn, each had a history they wanted to share. I did so enjoy interaction with them. One owned only that she was a California Girl, the other, a farmer’s wife. What a wonderful gift to me. I hope to visit locally to the nursing home across the street and, with informed consent, begin recording stories and portraits for them, the staff and families. A calling perhaps?

After that, I waited in the parking lot for my friend. The clouds caught my eye as well as the eye of my iPhone. It was a good day indeed.