Standing in the grocery store line at Safeway, I noticed a well-dressed elderly woman.  An employee had come to wipe the water off the seat of her walker.  The weather was cold and rainy outside.  She stood up straight and announced, “Well, I am 90.”  She seemed to be doing well for her age.

When it was her turn to pay, the small purse where she thought the money was, turned out to be empty.  This sent her to another place in her larger purse to find the money she needed.  I patiently waited as I love older people because they remind me of my grandparents who have both now passed away.

I learned that Marge had walked several blocks to get to the store from her assisted living home to get groceries.  I had driven to the store, I was cold and not very happy about going back out in the rainy weather.  I thought it would be terrible for Marge to go back out in it, so I decided that I would offer to drive Marge and her walker home if she would let me, so I asked her.

She said, “I accept.”  Then proceeded to asked me if I was an angel because she could see the wings sprouting.  She was delightful.  I pulled the car around and made sure she got safely into my car.  I figured out how to collapse her walker and put it in my trunk.  I assured Marge that it was not any inconvenience to take her home and that I would have done it had she been one of my grandparents.

On the way to her place, Marge said she had braved the weather because her son was coming over for dinner and she wanted to pick up some food because neither one of them liked the food in the building cafeteria.  I drove her to the door and made sure she and her walker were safely inside.

A few days later, I thought I would take some flowers over and see how Marge was doing.  The staff at the home said they did not know anyone by that name.  My description of her fit a lot of ladies in that home.   They thanked me for bringing her back but were no help in finding her.   And so, I have lost Marge, but I have gained so much for she had been a bit of an angel herself when we met, filling a void to be loved and appreciated that day in the rain.