Her name is Ginny and she is now in love with a goat. And we are in love with her and all of her 89 year old beauty. Her hands are made up of years of lifting children and feeding a family, perhaps cutting flowers or toiling in the garden. But it was the way her face lit up, exploded in smile, that I will remember-and how that made me feel, and most likely her too-for different reasons.
We ventured over to a nearby elder facility, this one in the nearby village of Round Pond. The home was once a ship captain's home from the 1880's and a family lived there. At some point I was told, the family also took in old vets, and eventually it was sold and became an elder care home for six individuals. It now is the residence of six elders.
We started out on their front porch, a long regal one that provides wonderful shade. The residents all clamored out, some in wheelchairs, others with walkers. As I walked up the stairs, one of the residents, who had heard Opie was coming, was so excited, she started yelling,
"The goat is here! He's wicked cute!"
Opie was interested in his new surroundings, and did eventually calm to his normal visiting self. This is normal and he did just fine. The manager asked me if I would mind bringing him in at some point because there was a resident who was not well and could not come out on the porch.
We ventured to her room, and could hear the oxygen and as we entered. She was sitting quietly in her chair, but when she saw Opie, her smile just lit up the room. It was beautiful, I tell you, beautiful. We got closer and she immediately started holding his head and telling him,
"I love you already, I love you."
I got an interior verklempt feeling in my heart and throat. It's a bonus of this life's work.
We visited for some time, and heard a bit about her history. Ginny is originally from Massachusetts and has children and grandchildren and great grand children. She was sharp. Her body just wasn't keeping up with her mind.
She smiled the entire time.
She asked me if we could keep their home on 'our list'.
I told her we lived right down the road and we'd be back.
Her smile was sweet, her hands were beautiful, although I'm sure she would not recognize that.
{If you like the work we are doing with animals and seniors at Apifera, please consider a donation-we are a 501[c][3]}
