Do You Have Any Regrets Along The Way?

For many years I worked with the elderly in long term care. I saw that many of them had no family that visited. It was especially noticed at holiday time. We made sure that all residents had gifts at Christmas time. We made sure that there were parties at Easter, St. Patricks Day, and most other holidays like Thanksgiving. I used to worry to some extent that the gifts were generic.  I have seen that in years gone by; gifts were tagged "boy" and "girl for little folks that parents didn't have funds to buy them gifts at holidays.

My brother lived in another state and couldn't come "home" very often. My sister by the time I am talking about had passed on. Before she died she kept my mom company while I was working with the residents.

I remember especially one Mother's Day that I was putting flowers on the tables, watching the families visiting with their folks and felt a pang almost of jealousy. I wanted to be home with my mother. However, if I wanted to keep my job, I had to be at the facility. I found myself looking over my shoulder at an especially large group and didn't see a large spill on the floor and fell very graciously in the coffee.

You all know that I am a very nostalgic person and I talk about my family a lot. Fran has a junk drawer that is sacred to him and I have a "top drawer" that is sacred to me.

Here is a birthday card to me from my mother when she was 82. Note her handwriting. She died when she was 90.  I hope you all have a drawer that is really special to you. In that same drawer I have a letter from my brother. I don't know how old that one is but I am sure it is old. None the less it is saved in the top drawer.