My 86 year old girlfriend passed away this week.
She was my neighbor who introduced herself to me the day I moved in and insisted I come up to her house to see “how the furniture was arranged so you can get ideas for your house.”
When she learned I was widowed, she was sympathetic and gently suggested a number of social activities, community groups and places I should visit.
She baked me homemade cookies for Christmas and sometimes, just because.
I was broken and grieving at the time, trying to reestablish my life as a widower. Her kindness gave me a little spark of hope and an unavoidable “in my face” friendliness that I desperately needed at the time.
Over the next 5 years, she’d text or call me every so often to invite me to come see her. We’d sit on her porch or sofa and talk about family. She’d show me pictures of her grandkids in college.
She tried to set me up with one of her friends because she said I was young and deserved to find love again. I graciously, but firmly, nixed the idea.
She invited me to church, to block parties and to meet her family.
My 86 Year Old Girlfriend was surrounded by friends and family – not only towards the end but throughout her life. She was an outgoing, energetic, extraverted woman. I imagine when she was younger, she was the life of the party. In the last few years as her health declined, she became homebound. Her driveway was often full of cars of visitors who came from all over the country to see her.
I knew she was nearing the end when I started seeing certain cars there more often recently. She was surrounded by her loved ones.
She told me last year that she was ready to go when her time came. She was at peace.
I’ll never forget her kindness to me.