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Miss Minnie Pond's* house is the last stop on my Meals on Wheels route, which is a good thing since she usually has plenty to talk about. She's 87 years old, white headed with a bit of a beard, and she walks with the help of a walker. Sometimes she wears a bow in her hair, and sometimes she answers the door with her shirt unbuttoned and I tease her about putting on a show again. We both laugh. Usually she tells me the latest news about the sneaky lady at DSS and how that woman is conspiring to make Miss Minnie leave her home of more than fifty years. And then she tells me how she ISN'T MOVING no matter what anyone says. "My mama and daddy's long gone, so I don't have to listen to NOBODY!" She can get along fine, she says, even though we both know that I help her write checks when it's time to pay bills, and back in July she needed me to come in and plug in her fan because she couldn't see the outlets and was burning up in the heat.
On my last visit, she came to the door waving a letter and asked me if I'd read it to her. I thought I'd share it with you. I just can't get it out of my mind.
I unfolded the stationery to find this in shaky handwriting:
The class of 1940 invites you to a reunion at The Fork restaurant on Sept 25. Please let me no if you can come so I can see how many is left and reserve a table big enough. Please call at... Your classmate...
"Oh," she said, stroking her collar. "I don't know if I can make it to that."Miss Minnie Pond's* house is the last stop on my Meals on Wheels route, which is a good thing since she usually has plenty to talk about. She's 87 years old, white headed with a bit of a beard, and she walks with the help of a walker. Sometimes she wears a bow in her hair, and sometimes she answers the door with her shirt unbuttoned and I tease her about putting on a show again. We both laugh. Usually she tells me the latest news about the sneaky lady at DSS and how that woman is conspiring to make Miss Minnie leave her home of more than fifty years. And then she tells me how she ISN'T MOVING no matter what anyone says. "My mama and daddy's long gone, so I don't have to listen to NOBODY!" She can get along fine, she says, even though we both know that I help her write checks when it's time to pay bills, and back in July she needed me to come in and plug in her fan because she couldn't see the outlets and was burning up in the heat.
On my last visit, she came to the door waving a letter and asked me if I'd read it to her. I thought I'd share it with you. I just can't get it out of my mind.
I unfolded the stationery to find this in shaky handwriting:
The class of 1940 invites you to a reunion at The Fork restaurant on Sept 25. Please let me no if you can come so I can see how many is left and reserve a table big enough. Please call at... Your classmate...
"Do you think you'd like to go, Miss Minnie?"
"I don't know," she said, fingering her hair bow. "No. No. No, I won't be going to that. None of us look the same anymore. I wouldn't know a soul."
I keep thinking about her. I wonder if she dreams about the the old days with the Class of 1940, when life was so new and full of mystery.
Miss Minnie inspires me, chugging along as she does, refusing to give up, finding something to laugh about in just about everything.
Have a great weekend, y'all!
Love, Becky
*Not her real name, of course.
15 comments:
I love talking with those who have been around for a long time. It's amazing the things they have to share.
God bless you for being her right hand! She sounds amazing--I love her response although I'm a little sad she won't go to the reunion...
So true, Lois. Everybody's got stories!
Thank you, GG, but I should have made clear...I'm not her only right hand. There are lots of other meals on wheels folks that help her out every day.
I'm sad that she won't go either. I had all sorts of Fairy Godmother fantasies about getting her clothes and driving her there...
I was confused at first - 'No way did Becky graduate in 1940'
One of those nice sad stories. Have a nice weekend & give Miss Minnie everyone's best next visit.
It seems to be a day for tears for me. Thank you for the story.
Hugs!
Nancy
Nice post and nice work you're doing. At one of my class reunions, I was recognized as the person who had gained the most weight. Wasn't sure I ever wanted to go back, but I did.
How can she miss her 69th year class reunion? Please let us know how we can help. I will gladly send her a corsage if she decides to go.
Wish Minnie would go to her reunion. She'd be commended just for making the effort. You must seize the opportunity, because it may be the only or last one you get.
I likr the video - there's some better stuff there than I've seen with The Chinese Acrobats of Taiwan!
Randy
You must be so tempted to drive her there.
Whoa. That is easily the trippiest thing I've seen in at least a month!
First they're singing about potato salad, then it gets very bend-y. Madness!
But Miss Minnie sounds like a real character.
I'm not quite sure what to make of the Ross sisters. They start out cute, then become sort of interesting in a a very flexible way and end up sort of freakish. Wow.
Becky, what a sweet post. But seriously folks, if you start to comment and haven't clicked on the video, you are losing a chance to see something really spectacular. I hadn't seen these girls for a while and I just loved seeing it again. The music makes it seem like a cartoon, then you realize that these lovely ladies are really moving like that. Loved it Becky! Thanks, Susan
You are so sweet. I go visiting every Tuesday with a group of ladies. We had stopped going over the summer because it was too hot for those in our group that have blood pressure issues. We start up again this Tuesday. I am really looking forward to it!
Smiles,
Teresa
Becky this is a wonderful story.
Miss Minnie knows what she wants to do.
She is right they won’t look the same and sometimes we
need to keep what is in our minds eye.
Louise
I LOVE this story!!!
What a treasure.
It's lovely that you do Meals On Wheels...
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