90 Year Old Nettie and her Garden

 

I took off this morning on my walk, sans Jack who was insulted and hollered and yelped to the top of her lungs. But I just did not feel like wrestling with her today. Anyway, I walked down my road for a ways and saw an older lady on a walker, struggling to get down her porch steps. I have seen her many times but always as I've zipped up and down the road in a vehicle. Like all of us who travel thus, we miss ALOT. I walked up her path from the sidewalk and asked if she needed a little help. Well let me tell you, seemed she hadn't talked to another living soul in 50 yrs and I was a cold drink of water. She hugged my neck, more than once, and we had a grand old time visiting. She proudly gave me the grand tour of her yard as well as all of her "story" that she could remember. She still lives alone but her son comes once a day to sort out her medicines and check on her. She can't drive (thank goodness) so she relies on family and friends.

 

My friend, Pam, and I discussed the other evening, my desire to connect with people, to touch them, to make a difference. She said, "Linda, you can just get out and walk every day and run into people who would be happy to share their lives with you for a little bit." Well, Pam, I guess you are right because that is what happened today.

 

This does not negate my plan to go back out on my Walk. I view it as practice. Because when I approached Nettie to help her throw her trash away, I expected that to take 2 or 3 minutes of my time. But Nettie needed me. And I needed her. So time lost its value as currency and became a gift to give.

 

Below are pictures of her flowers...some from her mother's garden decades ago.