It’s been an interesting season of my life.
In April, I left real estate in preparation for the World Race and had been caregiving for a lovely 98 year old lady named Barbara or “Bobbie”. We run errands, go through paperwork, and do a some household chores.
I use the term “caregiving” loosely as she worries about me more than I worry about her. She is gradually losing her eye sight and of course my heart skips a beat when she nods off for a nap, but really she’s so fiercely independent that there’s no need to gray a hair.
As for me, she’s always asking, have you spoke to more churches? How are the tshirts coming? What will you eat in all these countries with your allergies? You know you got to know your weaknesses and hit them head on.
Barbara stands at a striking 5’4″. She’s lost a few inches, but still stands tall.
Gorgeous short blonde hair and white straight teeth with a beaming smile.
She’s what every woman wishes to be at 98, heck she’s what a lot of women wish to be at 28.
A Hawai’i resident for over 40 years, this belle originally comes from the big apple. She spent her teen years living with an aunt in France.
Though she wanted to become an actress straight out of boarding school, her father demanded she go to business school instead and she thanked him everyday for it.
She went on to join the WACs back when the Army and Air Force were one…she was one of the first female officers.
She ended up marrying a fighter pilot and mothering his two children.
She’s spent most of her life volunteering.
She’s always kept things fun by taking art classes. She’s a great painter. Some of her watercolors are displayed throughout the house.
Along with collections of pieces of nature she’s collected from her travels around the world. Every one has a funny story.
She truly is a fascinating woman.
She works out several times a week. “It’s all in the legs, if you lose the legs-you’ve got nothing!”
She power walked the senior marathon for the past two years for pete sake!
There’s a newspaper clipping in the den of her pushing her walker, flying past a woman in her 60’s.
Just last week, she got a call to be a model for a photo shoot for a retirement center across town. Even they know she’s a babe.
She sees the best doctors, drives around the best walker, and doesn’t take no for an answer. She makes things happen. She’s still a mover and a shaker donating to organizations and constantly thinking about others. Every time we pass a homeless person in the car, she mumbles, “poor soul.” She truly feels for everyone. She’s 98! You’d think people would be feeling sorry for her, but nope SHE feels empathy for their lives. Now, that’s beautiful.
A role model to an entire community far beyond the walls of her senior living center. God puts the people in your life that you need. I had no idea how much this woman would inspire me and change my life forever..
Some of my favorite Bobbie moments are when we..
– met a mangy puppy at the vet. she had such a heart for the rescued puppy.
– ran into Kama the surfing pig at the post office. she thought he was a dog at first, then pet him and laughed and laughed.
– she fell in love with an adorable Japanese toddler in the waiting room of the doctor’s office and you could tell he loved her right back- it was like two worlds met and the concept of time was menial.
Her heart is so big. She’s donated to this mission. For my last day of work, she took me to my home church and met my pastor and friends there. She is always finding ways to increase the quality of life with everyone she knows.
So when I have a bad day, I try to think, there’s someone out there who has it worse and is making the best of it.
Don’t feel sorry for yourself, because there’s a healthy 98 yr old out there waking up, going to the pool, coming home, getting dressed, doing her makeup and hair, going out to run errands, coming home for a movie, then getting cocktails with the girls. All while making hilarious one liners and seeing every silver lining as well as the realistic pitfalls.
The truth is-
I don’t know how long Bobbie will live or if I’ll really get to share all of my stories with her when I get back next year.
But I’m learning that this is the beauty of life.
Nothing is certain. We’re all here on this planet for a finite journey.
Why not love, laugh, play, and pray like Bobbie?
