my friend, Amy, works at an upscale retirement home as an event coordinator. she loves her job.
i’ve always been fond of wiser folks than myself (which happens to include approximately 87% of the general world population), so naturally those whom have double, triple, or even quadruple as many years as i do often capture my attention.
so when Amy asked me to come shoot her “annual senior fashion show”, i saw a great opportunity.
the faces lacked no character. their hearts were still warm and beating. and their dignity seemed larger than mine. i guess it grows with age.
they really enjoyed themselves, but they weren’t aloof to the fact that there was an element of novelty to those of us younger folks in the audience. and i don’t think they cared. they know what it’s like to be young and ignorant. they’ve earned confidence and self assurance.
surprise, surprise. so i got a little sentimental and reflective at the old-folks home.
my last-remaining biological grandmother passed away two weeks ago, and though it was expected and in many ways a blessing, it’s sad see another sojourner leave us. but the flip-side of that is that she made the summit. and it makes me happy to know that she had a pretty good time doing so.
so i left the retirement community with a full cup. and i get the feeling that we are missing out on something that you can only learn when you’re time’s almost up. unfortunately, and fortunately, i don’t know what that is.
i think i’ll try to hang around the elderly a little bit more, and maybe they’ll give me a heads-up.
andrew slaton | blog 
Rew,
I haven’t read this in a little while, so I’m catching up on all your beautiful posts. I’m so, so sorry to hear about your grandmother. Like I said on facebook, we should talk very soon! I miss you tons. Your fashion show pictures really almost made me cry and laugh simultaneously. I wish our culture remembered more just how much grace and wisdom the elderly have…
lots of love,
Anna
In college, a few friends and I got to know a group of elderly men and women in a retirement home near ACU. We played dominoes with them every Monday night and it was a real blessing in my life. There is a movie that I saw a few years ago about growing old that made me cry – it concentrates on the quality of life in a nursing home. We should watch it. Not so I can cry, but I think it helps keep our minds on taking care of our older loved ones. What ever happened to building on a room to the house so grandma can live there? I hope I can do that for my mom one day.