“Go
look at my cactus on the window sill.”
Amy said as I walked into her flat.
I take the newspaper to Amy on Mondays and Thursdays. So, I handed her the newspaper and took the
shopping bag into the kitchen. I would
put the vegetable spread away while I was in there.
To meet
my gaze was a blooming Christmas cactus.
Although October, it was in bloom now.
From the lounge Amy commented: “It’s supposed to bloom at Christmas
time, but mine never does. It always
does it before.”
Amy is
97 and lives alone, which most of her friends find amazing. I met Amy through church. A mutual friend with whom we attend church looks in on Amy on
a regular basis. When I first became aware of
this, our friend was seeing her daily. To provide a break for our friend, and give Amy another visitor, I volunteered to take the paper twice a week.
Occasionally
Amy will ring me and let me know that one of her daughters is coming and that
I don’t need to get the paper. But most
weeks I ring her before going to the shops to see if she needs milk, bread, or
any other item besides the paper.
Once I’m
there, I take my coat off and stay for a chat, listening to her share about her life. It means hearing a few stories again and again. But on the other hand, Amy and I always have
a laugh. She likes to cook, and we’ll
discuss food. She’s given me a couple of recipe books and shared recipes with
me.
Amy went into service when she was 14 years of
age. Her first job was as a mother’s help
on a neighbouring farm. At age 18 she
went to London. She met her husband
there, and she found work in offices or shops.
Spending
time with Amy is like spending time with my grandmother.
Occasionally
Amy’s granddaughter will visit and bring flowers. Amy very kindly and generously shares them
with me.
Amy shared these with me today:
First of all, I must define a term, knocker-up,
Per Wikipedia “A knocker-up
(sometimes known as a knocker-upper) was a profession[1]
in Britain and Ireland that started during and lasted well into the Industrial Revolution and at least as late
as the 1920s (mid 50s in Manchester, England. UK) before alarm clocks
were affordable or reliable. A knocker-up's job was to rouse sleeping people so
they could get to work on time.[2”
Tongue Twister
Our knocker-up has a knocker-up to knock him up. And our knocker-up’s knocker-up didn’t knock our knocker-up up, so our knocker-up
didn’t knock us up.
Riddles
1)
What goes up a chimney down but won’t come down
a chimney up?
2)
What goes up when the rain comes down
Answer to both: an umbrella
Amy
has many memories from World War 2. The
other day she was reminiscing about watching the plans flying over during the
blitz, at which point she looked over at me and asked; “Do you remember that?”
“Amy,
I was only born in 1958!” At that we
both laughed.
I think that is an indication of how people’s
lives can intermesh, regardless of age. It
is sharing common interests, time and laughter.
I know my life is richer for knowing her.
Serving Jesus, Author of our faith,
"Lady Helene"
Last Sunday was Mothering Sunday here in the UK. The parish likes to bless and encourage the women in our congregations. So, as happens on each Mothering Sunday, each woman attending services on that day are given a bundle of daffodils. 
