One of our very talented (and thoughtful) elderly clients wrote the below poem and gave us permission to share her work with you.
It is our privilege to advise our elderly clients and their families, whether it be in the context of estate planning, long term care planning, or guardianship planning. Thank you for the poem, Miss Dorothy. And thank you for the reminder for us to cherish each day that we are given.
The Woman In The Mirror
I went to the bathroom this morning
To brush my teeth you see–
I glanced up at the mirror
And someone was looking at me.
I wondered what she was doing there,
For it was someone I didn’t know—
Her face was full of wrinkles
And her hair was white as snow.
I think her eyes were brown—like mine are
Tho they weren’t easy to see.
But she didn’t comb her hair like I did
So I knew it couldn’t be me
both of us stood there staring at each other
Neither of us saving a word.
I looked at her secretly thinking,
“I’m glad I’m not that old!”
I wanted her to leave—so—I started to say
“Would you like me to leave you alone?”
She started to say the same thing to me.
(I think she thought this was her home!)
I turned on the water to rinse my face
She did the same thing too
It startled me so-I wanted to cry!
“I can’t be the same as you!!”
Then I felt a little ashamed
She looked a little bit sad.
And then she quietly said to me
“Things really aren’t that bad;.”
So we smiled at each other, realizing
We were both one and the same,
Me in that old body,
She on this young frame!
Thankful for our health,
Our family, friends, and home
Just waiting for that day
When the good Lord says, “Well done.”
Then the old woman with her white hair and
With the young woman somewhere inside,
Walked out of the bathroom “together,”
Just happy to be alive!
Dorothy L.
May 9, 2000
