beat 249 - lived

"Oooh, it's a bad heart. Well that's what the doctor told me. It may be a bad heart but my heart is love. Every time I do something, I do it with love. I never get angry, never holler, I've never spank my kids. I had a very good life with a husband that I never fought with. We never swore at each other, it was always a very strong respect. We were together for 59 and a half years. I cannot believe it. Or that I'm already 95 years old. Only when I get up from my seat do I believe my age. Oh and now I'm getting wrinkles. Agh. Truth is, I could go at any minute. They told me to wear this pendant thing, in case of an emergency. I don't wear it. If your gonna go, your gonna go. If your time is up, it's up. But the longer you live, the more you have to do. I have things I haven't completed here yet, that's why I'm still around. So I go and I do. I shop, volunteer, I don't bother anyone. 
My husband and I had a lovely life. I still have all his love letter from when he was in the war. I gave them to my granddaughter because I was going to destroy them but someone stopped me. I didn't want anyone to see them, it's my private life. We had our secrets, that's what I like. You know, when my husband was in the service he'd write me letters and tell me he'd take me to Europe when he returned, he said it was a wonderful place. And you know, he did. We went all over the place, just us and it was a grand time. I've seen all the countries. But it was home that was wonderful with him...every Sunday he'd go to the market and buy cheese and half a pound of ham, a newspaper and Entenmann's cake. Then he'd buy a rose. He didn't have to say he loved me. It was the thing he'd do. I knew it.
 Can I tell you something? I love bingo. Oh how I love it."


-Palma, Port Chester, NY