I had the unexpected treat of not only being able to get a pedicure, but in the middle of the afternoon, on a weekday! It was relatively quiet and I could relax and people watch (which I love to do).
As my feet were soaking, I saw an elderly couple come in. I am terrible at guessing age but I think they were probably in their mid-eighties or early nineties. The husband was leading his wife, who seemed to have difficulty walking. She was slightly hunched over and one of her eyes seemed to droop a little. You could tell her mind was alert but her body just wouldn’t move the way she wanted it to.
Her husband kindly walked her to a seat that turned out to be next to her daughter. He gently helped her into the chair where she sat somewhat stiff like an ironing board and looking like she could slip out! I am thinking she may have had a stroke.
The workers knew him by name and greeted him as he chose her nail polish and I heard her daughter tell one of them that he had tried to clip her nails and accidentally got her toe by mistake and it had bled a lot. According to the daughter, he had declared that he ”was never clipping her nails again!” He took off her shoes and socks, adjusted her in the seat, held out his hand and said to her, “Now that’ll be $50 bucks.” He laughed at his joke, talked to his daughter a little and went somewhere else to wait for her.
Witnessing their interaction actually made me tear up a little. He was so sweet to her and she seemed very thankful. But what really made my eyes well up was the joke about the $50 bucks.
The fact that this couple was in this situation where obviously something had happened to her health and instead of being down about it, he chose to acknowledge she was still alert and make a joke. He looked like he still adored her and he was making her feel special instead of like a burden.
It seemed like the sweetest thing to be growing old together and be able to keep your sense of humor as your body quits working like it should.
I should remember this for the times when marriage gets a little challenging. When I’m ninety, I might need someone to take me for a pedicure!
Nicole is the creator and editor of Mind over Messy. When she lost her mom suddenly 11 years ago, she made the decision to be really present and treat life as a precious resource. Bringing mindfulness to what she did was an easy progression until she remembered she had two small, spirited boys making it feel impossible to think at times. Mind over Messy was born of the desire to get the quiet connection we need to stay centered, in the messiness of real life.
Welcome! Our modern lives can be so hectic that it is so helpful to find easier ways to get a healthy meal on the table, meditate even if the kids are loud, and stay active any way that we can fit it in. This blog is dedicated to making Mindful Living Easier.