It's funny how people come into your life. I think we meet for a reason. I try to see and realize the value in people.
Everyone has a purpose in this life, if we meet then I become a part of that.
I met Evelyn almost 3 years ago. She was new to Petaluma and had called the public service organization I had just become a volunteer for.
She needed a variety of resourses and thought that I'd be of use to her. I was introduced to her as someone that would come visit her on a regular basis.
So we started out that way, I'd come see her every Thursday afternoon and we'd talk, get to know each other. She'd usually ask me to take her to the store or some kind of errand.
At 90+ years old Evelyn finds herself in a an unfamiliar�vulnerable position. In her younger years she'd always relied on herself, disliked having to depend on anyone. She'd married as a young woman but as she told me, she had "no use for a man telling her what to do". Today�she finds herself�alone, she's bought a home in a town she's not familiar with and at times her body sabotages her efforts to move through her day. She gets frustrated easily. Like a child she's not able to�control her anger. She'll raise her voice, once she even raised her hand to me. I've had to talk to her (when she's calmer of course) about that type of response to me and that I wouldn't tolerate anything less than respect towards me, while she agrees I think she's just an old gal that's done things a certain way and that's that. I don't believe she means me harm.
There's been times when I feel I'm a bother to her, and times when I think she appreciates me, lately, I'm in her favor. Our visits are pleasant and I find myself thinking fondly of her.
Yesterday she wanted to cancel our visit because she needed to take her quilt to a laundrymat at the time I usually come see her. I reminded her that I wouldn't be able to come for the next couple weeks so perhaps if she'd be up to it I could come later in the day. She sounded open and even a bit happy about that.
So I did see Evelyn, she had me trim her nails on her right hand, help her retrieve a message off her answering machine, put the tarp back on her car (which btw I can't imagine how she does this by herself!). Then just as we were saying goodbye on her porch she realized that she had locked herself out of the house! Don't panic, there's�a hide-a-key hidden on the porch, so as I reached under the railing for the box all I found was a magnet - no box, no key! Still she's cool, I on the otherhand wondered where this was going and when I'd be on my way, back to the chores of my day. But in a flash I managed to find the box, it had fallen between the garden rocks below and was covered by leaves.
It's always an adventure with her, I hope to know her for a good long time. I hope I'm of�more use than bother to her.�
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