5
Florence led her guest through the organized clutter
of convenient living to the hallway. Side-stepping to the
closet, Florence opened the door to display a newly
purchased dusty rose gown she planned to wear to her niece
Vickie’s
wedding in Florida. Gently fingering the delicate
skirt, Florence launched into her first story. With a soft voice
that portrayed both humility and joy, Florence told of the
happiness she felt when Vickie called about the wedding.
Having lost both her parents, Vickie turned to Aunt Florence
as the person she most wanted by her side as she walked
toward her new life.
Shaking off the melancholy that enveloped her with
the memory of the death of her sister LaVerne, Florence
headed for the improvised workroom, a cozy kitchen, long
and narrow, with cabinets on the outside wall and an oval, oil
cloth covered table against the inside wall. She continued
her reflections on the happiness she experiences through the
closeness of her family. One-by-one she identified her
children, her in-laws, her grandchildren and her great-
grandchildren in a voice that affirmed unconditional love and
pride. Her visitor began to suspect Florence’s chair was
spring-loaded with an eject button. With each new name
Florence was up and through the door to another room only
to return in seconds with a recent photograph and a new
story.
Watching her zip through the house as surefooted
and agile as a mountain goat in the Rockies, one forgets