In the past six months I made a new buddy. She is an elderly woman whose daughters are my friends. Since she was housebound, I went to visit her for tea and cookies. 

 

She was always glad to see me, which is a terrific way to make sure I kept coming. We chatted about the past week, and any visits from her beloved great grandchildren. I shared bits of news, including the most recent weddings and deaths. She told me about when she was a young girl, new to town, and how kind people were in welcoming her. Several times she expressed her gratitude to the wealthy woman who paid for her wedding gown, and smiled approvingly as she walked up the aisle. She recounted the day her daughter died in a car crash, and the generous people who supported their family. Her current fears hovered around the edges, like for the son who climbs trees for a living and how long he can keep doing that. 

 

Some afternoons I read to her. There was always a stack of books beside her corner on the couch, and although the content perhaps escaped her, the lull of my voice brought comfort. Other times I sang to her, or told her funny things my own children did over the years. Her laughter flowed freely, like music. 

 

One time I coaxed her onto the deck, for some fresh air, but in retrospect I think I should have left her in her favorite spot. Familiarity meant more than a warm breeze. 

 

She always spoke of her beloved husband, while gazing at the photo taped to the wall. He was the sun of her skies for sixty years, and missing him was a part time job. We ended each visit with a hug, and echoed the reassurance he gave her in a vivid dream. 

 

"It's all okay." 

 

When she slipped into hospice care, a group of us came to serenade her. For an hour we filled the air with hymns, the ones she sang every week in church her whole life. She was the apex of the four generations in the room, and the only tissue box was depleted by those who will miss "Mema". 

 

As she wakes up in a new place, the one where her husband and daughter are waiting for her, she will have both the warm breeze and familiar faces. Plus I think they will have lots of news for her.