Helen

Since we were in Oak Grove anyhow visiting my cousin and her husband, we went by to visit Helen, a lady who worked with Cliff at the butcher shop for many years.  I've blogged about  visiting with her before.  
Helen is like a second mother to Cliff, and I know she would gladly claim him as a son.  When we dropped in, she was in the lobby of the senior citizen apartment complex where she lives.  She had just finished playing Bingo with some other residents.  She was so excited to see us that tears came to her eyes, and she hugged the two of us for about five minutes.  
This little lady is ninety-five years old:  She has her own teeth (not the kind you buy, either), has better hearing without a hearing aid than Cliff does with one, and has a mind is as sharp as a tack.  Seriously, she has me beat on recalling names and places.  She does have health issues and uses a walker to get around, but seems to enjoy life to the fullest.  
We talked about old times and listened to her proudly tell about her children's and grandchildren's accomplishments.  Of course I had to tell her how Cliff scared me to death with his recent illness.  We talked about tractors, Cliff remembering how he rode on her late husband's big Oliver tractor one time.  
Every few minutes she would again tell us how happy she was to see us.  
An hour and a half later, we got up to go home.  Cliff gave her a hug, and she didn't turn him loose for five minutes.  Then I hugged her, and that took another five minutes.  She took my hand in her right hand and Cliff's in her left, and we stood there talking for another ten minutes.  She had tears in her eyes again, and we began to wonder if she was going to let us leave.  
We need to go visit her more often!  We do have a date to eat with her at the Senior Center, which is where she eats her noon meal every weekday.  It's only two dollars per person, and we are official senior citizens, after all.  She gave us the menu so Cliff could choose a day when they are serving mashed potatoes. All we have to do is let her know the day before we decide to join her, so she can let them know to cook enough for two more.  
It has really been a good day.