Grandma Sally

Gordon and I got talking about resilience this week. It was interesting how our definitions of resilience varied....but how we agreed on who we thought was resilient. Needless to say this has me thinking of doing a story series on individuals that are amazingly resilient. One of them is Sally....or "Grandma Sally" as the pups call her. She lives in our condo building...is 78 years old...sassy as nobody's business...and a strength and certainty of character that just won't quit.

In the last year she has had 2 separate medical diagnosis/scares and treatments that would have done in any other person....but there she sits at home, smoking her cigarettes, doling out her wisdom in a hoarse smoke filled voice. She tells me about all the men she has loved in her life....how she used to love to dance ("proper dancing none of that silly stuff") and how she plans to go to a Salsa dancing class with her walker on Sunday. She worries about Gordon and I ...worries about us recovering from the accident. I reassure her telling her it will be fine and we will get better....that the universe must have set us this challenge because it thought we could handle it. Her response "THAT''S A BUNCH OF BULLSHIT" Sally can always be counted on to tell it like it is. She has no filter and truly believes that all residents in our 18 unit building are like family to her.

She adores Carmela but has a heck of a time remembering her name...so she refers to her as "Myrtyl", or "Bernice", or "Mabel", or "Marmalade"....it doesn't matter...we know who she is talking about each time...and Carmela goes to her for treats no matter what name she uses. Fred however is always "Fred" to her. She adores his handsome face; and he in turn gives her kisses. But a story about Sally wouldn't be complete if I didn't share one of her favorite jokes. Sorry folks it isn't PG so quit reading while you are ahead if you require PG. She is constantly checking to see if we have a "bun in the oven". And every time we say not yet.....she looks at Gordon goes "Tsk tsk....you know you gotta let it soak"..... .....................................I still haven't figured out what exactly she means