Writing is Choreography.
First is the intro of the music and the slight anticipatory sway of my body.
First is the blank page and the eager word choice.
Suddenly, there is an intense looseness of my movements to the beat, and the feeling of fluidity sets in.
Suddenly, there is a spark of clear thought, and all distractions are mute.
I’m in synch with the sounds. Every pirouette, every move. All with explosive grace and erratic control.
READ MORE HERE…
This is a sad day on our street, our little corner of the world.
A man who has lived in the same house for over fifty years is being prepped for a move to a senior’s home.
Can you imagine spending fifty years in one place? This man raised a family in that house. He watched a child grow up. He lost a spouse. He saw friends come and go, but eventually he began to lose one vital part of himself after another, until all that remained was unrecognizable, even to himself.
Soon he will leave forever and one day he will wake up and nothing will be the same again.
Ever.
I have no words of my own right now. Their absence vexes me, but my mind and body are needed elsewhere at the moment and so I leave you with Becca’s words.
Trust me, her efforts are worthy of your time. They’ve given me much to ponder. I hope you feel the same.
You've Been Hooked! 
The relentless, unforgiving march of time….
What was once crystal clear is now opaque….
The sunset of a life is near.
God bless this gentleman.
If only I had your words.
Thank you.
obugger
Indeed.
Last year, we moved my dad into a nursing home because of his dementia. I’m obliged to say we tried to keep him in his home. It was impossible given our resources and the layout of his home. He lived there nearly 40 years. Selling the things that he and my mother had accumulated was wrenching, far more difficult than the actual sale of the house. Your words describe his situation exactly. It’s so nice to know that he’ll be missed as my dad’s neighbors miss him.
Definitely.
And just to let you know, he actually walked out/escaped the home, so his family was told to make alternative arrangements, so his story isn’t over yet.
There is a Seniors Home where I live that allows some of the residents to have their own house on the grounds of the home where they can have some independence and still have a nurse or doctor on call if they need it which gives them a little independence.
But it is always heart wrenching when someone can no longer live in their house.
it is indeed, J.D.
So sad to have someone need to leave their home that they have lived in for so long. So many memories. I’m just reading a book about a woman who had to leave her home and her daughter moved her into a nursing home and the feelings she had about it. I guess I’m thinking about when it will be my time to make that move. Many years, I hope. May God bless your gentleman friend. May he find a loving, nurturing place in which to live.
He needs a great deal of attention. I hope he gets it.
I can sense how much you are struggling right now – I wish I had words to make it the way it was – but soon you’ll feel that the way things are now is ‘normal’ – it’s coming – and you’ll make it your own by bringing to the table your own special ability to turn events into something interesting and memorable. Be well, my friend.
And you as well, my dear friend.
It is always hard to see someone once so vital and having lived such a life have to say good bye to the things they hold dear. I am sure there are memories in every nook and cranny of that house for him. With time, they will slowly fade without the prompts.
We live differently now, don’t you think? There doesn’t seem to be a “family” home anymore. People continually upgrade until they downsize. You hear, “I use to live there and then we moved to…”. Will there be one home that means more to them than another where they say, “I grew up there”? For me I my “home” I grew up in will always be the one on Pettit Ave. in Cherrywood Acres, where I lived for 10 years until my Mom passed. I am told we lived in two other places before that but I don’t remember them. We lived somewhere else for the last year of my Mom’s life. I don’t remember much of that either. None of the other places after that were really home either. As an adult the 5 years I lived at the beach will always be considered my favourite home.
I’m afraid you pushed a button here. Sorry for the rambling. Your words moved me a great deal.
Ramble on, Michelle.
Your words have moved me as well.
I’ve joked that one day my daughter will be moving me out of my current house, and it probably won’t be a pleasant experience for anyone. I tend to get sentimental and nostalgic.
I don’t blame you; so do I!
Oh goodness, after 50 years that will be a change. My heart goes out to him and I do wish him the best.
Thnaks, buddy. He could definitely use your positive vibes right now.
The unknown is what waits for us at the end of our life journey. Live each day as if it is your last…
Well said, Marcia.
Good enough. You saw. You noted. Something needed, but often not done.
(off to read…)
Thanks, old friend.
My mom lives in a complex care facility because she is living with Alzheimers. She is so unhappy but there is nothing I can do to change that. I feel for her because she has no independence left, but again, there is nothing I can do to change that. Such is life. My heart goes out to the gentleman you were writing about.