Today, I had the pleasure of getting to spend some time with two very different ladies. Evi Noelle was born last Thursday--she is only five days old. Arlene is a 90 year old shut in, who spends all day every day sewing scraps together to make very elaborate quilts. Getting to meet and interact with both made me really think about how short life really is, and how no matter how different we are from one another, we really do start and end the same way. I though I would write a little bit about my experience with these two girls and highlight some of the similarities and differences.
 |
| not really Evi....so sue me |
Evi was born via C-Section in Flint, Michigan last week. Her mom Kelli brought her to my young mom's Bible Study. Evi weight 9 lb, 6 oz at birth. She currently weighs 8 lb, 12 oz. Evi slept through most of our hour together, curled up into a little ball on her mother's chest. She has a wisps of light blonde hair and yellowish skin from jaundice. She was dressed from head to toe in an adorable purple outfit, that was accessorized by a headband bow and tiny printed socks. Her mother had obviously picked out the outfit carefully to show her off to the other women in our group. I don't know (at least I can't recall) if I have ever interacted with a baby this young before. Her tininess was striking. In particular, her ears and hands kept grabbing my attention. They were so miniature, and yet so complex. She would try to grip her mother's finger with her hand, and all of the muscles and joints in her hands are already so perfect. It's a beautiful thing to see. Evi's dissatisfied grunts were also facsinating. She was perfectly content until she needed her diaper changed. Obviously, having her wet skin exposed to the cold air was not on her agenda this morning. She only has a few very basic needs right now; she likes to be fed and kept warm. It's amazing how fast those needs change. Babies so quickly need to be entertained and stimulated. She's going to grow up in the blink of an eye, and there's nothing anyone can do to stop it. Sure, every milestone is exciting and no one wants their kid to remain a baby forever--we have them so that they will grow up. But it's difficult to see tiny and perfect Evi and not wish she could stay that way just a little bit longer. My hope is that I am prepared to soak up my baby's littleness. It seems like such a fleeting time--so easy to forget in the flurry of new responsibilities as a kid gets older and older.
 |
| Not Arlene |
Arlene is a 90 year old shut-in that is a member of my church. I visited her this afternoon, and boy, was she excited! The first thing I noticed when I walked up to Arlene's house was a dozen dolls that she had perched in her front window. They stare out at visitors and are entirely creepy. Arlene hobbled up to the door to let me in, using a walker. She was dressed in worn out jeans and a cardigan set. She was hunched over and thin. He skin was wrinkled and sallow. She was delighted to see me. Arlene and I chatted for about two hours. She proudly showed off the two dozen quilts she had made so far this year, and pointed out who each one was going to. She also took me down to her sewing room and talked about how the sewing keeps her busy so that she doesn't go crazy from boredom and loneliness. For her age, Arlene had a very sharp mind and was in pretty good physical shape. In particular, Arlene wanted to point out a memorial quilt she had made for all of her girlfriends. She explained to me that she had once belonged to this wonderful group of friends, who supported one another for decades. Even though Arlene was the youngest of them, she has had to watch them all die, one by one, over the last ten years. Her eyes filled with tears as she told me that she wanted to pick up the phone recently to tell one of them a funny story, but she realized that she couldn't. Her loneliness and longing for her friends consumed our conversation. It struck me how real the need for social interaction is, and how that never goes away. When I think about being elderly, I generally imagine it with my husband, or my children surrounding me. It has never really occurred to think about what my life will be like if I'm the last one left for many years. Arlene also proudly showed me pictures of her great-grandchildren, the newest of which was just born in June, and had been given the same middle name as Arlene, to honor her. Arlene has obviously lived a life full of love.
Going from one extreme to the other in a single day was very interesting for me. I enjoyed my time with both Evi and Arlene, two kinds of people that I haven't had much interaction with in the past. I have a lot to learn about newborns, but all too soon I will also need to know more about the elderly and how they survive in a world that can be lonely. 90 years really isn't that much time to get from where Evi is to where Arlene is. I hope that Evi's life can be filled with as much love and joy as Arlene's has been.
No comments :
Post a Comment