When we heard that my husband’s Aunt Ola had been ill with pneumonia, we were concerned.
When we visited her in August, Ola was still happy in her independent-living apartment, still up for two hours of conversation, still ready to walk us all the way to the door of her senior-citizen complex.
However, since Ola is 105, I decided to make a trip to Oklahoma City, a four-hour drive from my house, for a short visit to check on her.
I found Ola sitting in a comfortable chair with her daughter and grandson’s wife nearby. Before I could inquire about her health, she asked me questions about my family. How was Jerry? How were Mary Elizabeth and Jay?
She seemed tired. She closed her eyes so that she could listen as we talked. But she was alert. Cheri, her grandson’s wife, explained that she had been looking for a book that Ola wanted Cheri to read to her.
When I mentioned that I had made an applesauce cake recently and used the recipe from my husband’s mother, Ola spoke up instantly.
“That’s my recipe,” she said in a strong voice. “I gave that recipe to Rose.”
This week, when I say a prayer of thanks for all of my blessings, I’m going to put Aunt Ola at the top of the list. What a wonderful role model! When I’m 105, I hope that I’m still more interested in how other people are doing than in talking about my own health issues—and I hope that I’m still interested in reading another book.
–Joy