Sandwiched
I’ve always been drawn to older people, even as a teenager. Perhaps it was due to my strong relationship with my maternal grandmother as a child, but people of an experienced age have always fascinated me. I love hearing their stories about what life was like back in the “good old days.”
I met a wonderful elderly couple while walking my beloved terrier Buffy through our neighborhood when I was about 13. I saw Bill and Lavonne Eckstein sitting on their front porch one summer evening and heard them exclaim “What a cute dog! Can we pet it?” That was the start of a beautiful friendship.
Somehow Buffy and I always found a way to meander past Bill and Lavonne’s house from that moment on during our walks. They were incredibly sweet people who took a lot of interest in an awkward teenage girl. Some of my favorite summer memories are of the three of us just relaxing and chatting on their front porch on Broadway in Mishawaka. Buffy of course was always sitting contently on one of their laps.
My heart sank years later when I went to visit them on a break from college to discover that only Bill was home. With tears in his eyes, he explained to me that Lavonne wasn’t doing so well and had to go into a nursing home. You could tell that his own heart was broken being separated from the love of his life.
He joined her not long after that day, which made me sad but determined to still visit them. But what would a visit be without Buffy? Nursing homes weren’t quite as pet friendly back then.
Thank goodness for my dear friend Kevin, whom Buffy loved completely. With an “Ask for forgiveness not permission” attitude, he said to me, “We’ll conduct a covert operation and sneak her in.” With little Buffy tucked securely into his jacket, we casually entered the facility and breezed right past the receptionist and into a stairway.
I’ll never forget the look of delight and surprise on Bill and Lavonne’s faces when we entered their room that evening. Mission accomplished! I don’t think I was able to visit much more after that day, but I’m certain Bill and Lavonne eventually had a great time spoiling Buffy when all three of them went to heaven years later.
Now I’m blessed to meet lots of older people thanks to visiting my mom in her assisted living facility. It’s a delight to get to know them and learn about them during one of the many activities there. And each and every one of them lights up when someone takes just a moment to say hello. It makes a huge difference in their day.
If I’m lucky, I’ll end up being someone of an “experienced age.” I hope I can touch the lives of younger folks just like Bill and Lavonne did for me all those years ago.