When Life Kicks, Get a Kick Out of Life

Sadie will be ninety-nine in less than three months. A couple of weeks ago, she had a colostomy. At her age, many people wouldn't survive the surgery. When I saw her this week, she was lying in her bed; the sheets covered up to her neck. She smiled when she saw me, a large smile, of clean white dentures. I asked her how she was.

"Better than last week," she answered.

"How do you know?" I asked her.

"I feel more energy, more life in me. I think I will make it to 100."

"What do you want?"

She stopped to think a minute, then said, "I want to make it further than that."

"Sadie, " I asked her, "Why is it that some people at your age are just waiting to go and you are wanting to stay? What makes it different for you?"

"I still get a kick out of life," she told me.

"What gives you that kick?"

"I like it when people come in to visit me, and we have things to talk about."

"Just visitors coming in?"

She smiled again, "I like having people come in to talk."

We spoke a few more minutes, and then I told her I would be on my way.

"Come see me again, " she said.

This time I smiled. "You can be sure of that," I told her.

When life kicks, kick back.