| Clara |
| by John M. Smith, Executive Director Egyptian Area Agency on Aging |
Whenever the sun is shining brightly, I always think of
Clara because she was so full of energy and was grateful for so many small
things. She had some physical problems and her finances seemed barely adequate,
but to know Clara was to know that she felt she had everything she ever wanted
or needed in life.
She had a difficult time with her health, some might say that getting out of bed was extremely painful for her; but I do not ever remember her saying she was having a bad day. The sun was always shining on Clara, her family, and her friends.
She was so proud of her family, especially her grandchildren. She didn’t get to visit with them as much as she would have liked but she savored every moment when she did.
Her grandchildren had grown and were adults by the time I knew her, but she talked to me about them as if they were still young; how she loved to watch them crawl on her furniture and how she read special bedtime stories for them. She made cookies and cakes for dessert whenever they visited. Now they had started families of their own and had given her great-grandchildren in whom she took great pride.
Clara also loved to come into the senior citizens center and visit with her friends. She would swap stories about family, discuss the weather, or join in conversations about world events. Sometimes she was content just listening to others. She never said anything negative that I remember, not even about the weather on days when it was cold and damp and her arthritis was “acting up.”
Clara was glad to be alive! She was grateful for what the good Lord had provided her and never wished for anything more. She was content and ready to live the rest of her life to the fullest.
She always dressed in her finest clothes when she came to the senior center. She wanted to look her best, even if she really wasn’t feeling well. She wanted everyone around her to feel good and tried her best to be pleasant and positive.
She told me once that she didn’t know how things would turn out after she was gone, but she wanted to be remembered for the good times in her life.
Well Clara, the sun is shining brightly today just for you. We are reliving the memories you left us and the good times we had when your were here. They were good times because you were so full of energy and gratitude that you made them so.
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