A night with the Elders...

The weather called for heavy snow...an inch and hour, topped with freezing drizzle and sleet. So I called my mother in law and asked if I could spend the night with her. Thus assuring that I could get to a clear highway and get to work in the morning.

She said yes, and I headed to her place in a town of about 250? ~~ and settled in at her small but cozy apartment.
Mom said that at 6:30PM, a bunch of the 'gals' were getting together to walk around and look at each other's apartments Christmas Decorations.

I thought to myself. Okay, that sounds boring, a bunch of old ladies ... I had brought a book and thought,...I'll read.
Instead mom said, *Come along! It'll be fun!*

Oh sure.
I was prepared to be bored out of my skull when I walked into the community room and looked around at all the gray haired ladies sitting around a long table.

Was I surprised.
I was greeted warmly and introduced all around. They were excited that I'd join them on their Christmas walk.
I was enchanted by their fun attitudes, the jokes they cracked as we walked from one apartment to the other to peek in on Christmas decorations.

I was floored when I met the 100 year old resident. She certainly did not look like she was 100! Nor speak, or act like it.
We eventually went back to the Community Room and had coffee and cookies. All the ladies discussed one thing or another.
Somehow the subject of helicopters came up.
I had to laugh, they were talking about being being flown in a medi-vac situation.

There was a discussion on the other end of the table about who died and their funeral, another one going on about comfortable mattresses...and one woman reminisced about living on her old farm.

When we finally broke up and everyone was getting ready to leave, a woman touched me on the arm and thanked me for coming.
Another stated, *Well now you know what old ladies do when we live in this kind of an apartment...we drink coffee and eat cookies!* She laughed.

I had really enjoyed my evening.
Shame on me, for thinking that it would be boring.

A night with the elders was pleasant indeed.