A friend shared a story with me the other day about her 93 year old neighbor. She told me how this woman, although elderly by anyone’s standards, was still very young at heart. She described the twinkle in her eye, and the way she kept up on all the latest music and trends. She also told me how well the woman looked after her husband when he became ill.
She explained that this man’s wish was to spend his last days at home. Arrangements were made to have a hospital bed placed in the living room, and this woman helped the nurses to care for her husband in the comfort of their own home. One day, the woman walked to the window and spread the curtains open wide to allow some sunlight into the dark room. When she turned around to smile at her husband, the light glanced across her nose. She turned to her husband, smiling, and said, “Look. The sun is kissing my nose.”
The sweetness of that moment stayed with me this week. The image of this elderly woman, surrounded by the smells of sickness and the fear of losing the one she loves, taking the moment to appreciate sunlight dancing on her nose, was simple, yet profound.
I am sure I am not alone when I say that I enjoy hearing stories about elderly people who are young at heart. Perhaps it is because there is a universal sense that we are younger inside than we may look or feel on the outside. I have often said that I feel like I am in my 20’s even though I am two decades past that mark in calendar years. Perhaps the fact that people retain their youth despite their age offers some kind of hope that we can be the same.
As you go through this week, you might feel aches and pains, or even tired and drained. However, even as your body absorbs the stresses of its age, at some point during the week, I hope you take a moment to recognize the sun as it kisses your nose.
With love, Kelli