Aging

I've an older friend (92) who has been a blessing in my life over the years.  I'm privileged to watch her 'age' and see how she, with grace and style, handles the process.  She has, and continues to be a treasure in my life.

She lives in an assisted living facility and its very hard to see some of the other folks there who have no one to visit or give attention to them. Our society has become so segmented, children are 'boxed' up and put into day care or public school, old folks are similarly 'shelved.'  Versus the multi-generational plans Father has for the integration of family life.

'Tis sad...while I was browsing I found this:

Missing

She waited,

hoping her years of caring

endured in grown-up minds,

rested in distant hearts,

conveyed how much she missed them.

She waited,

living real-time movies

of restless nights, anxious days

with inhaled hopes of fellowship,

exhaled sighs of deep despair.

She waited,

wishing nostalgic winds

flowed through cotton curtains,

brought relatives and friends

she cherished through the years.

She waited,

grasping like a New Year's resolution,

like a second suspended in time

until her clock stopped ticking

for visitors who never came.

© Frances Shani Parker