Happy Friday friends,

How are you doing on this fabulous Friday? Shoot me a text or drop me a comment — I’d love to hear from you.

Everything is good here. I didn’t get everything done that I wanted today, but that’s okay. I got the most important things done. I spent a couple of hours with Aunt Billie, and we had lunch together. It was such a pleasure to meet another one of her tablemates, Jean. What a beautiful soul she is. My heart aches for her though — she suffers from migraines that keep her in her room most of the time.

Talking with Jean, I realized something: older folks are drawn to me… once they decide if I’m their cup of tea or not. I’m told I talk a lot. But today, Jean did most of the talking. I asked a question or two, and she just let her feelings flow. She talked about her husband, who left this world 20 years ago. They had been married 45 years.

The most beautiful thing I took from our conversation was this: Jean and her belated husband had the perfect love story. As she searched for the words to describe their life together, I said, “Well Jean, it sounds like God gifted you an extra 20 years with the man you loved so deeply.”

Her husband had battled cancer in his mid‑30s. Then heart problems in his 40s. And in his 50s, he had three heart attacks within an hour. The doctors saved his life, and he lived another 20 full years.

After retiring, he went on a mission trip with his church. On day two, he collapsed and was gone. He never made it home to Jean, and she’s never fallen in love again.

She talked and talked about their life together with such fondness. It was an honor to be trusted with a glimpse into her love story.

Sitting there with Jean, Janice, and Aunt Billie, I realized just how important it is to listen. That’s all older folks really want — to be heard. But it’s more than that. Today, I listened closely to Aunt Billie. She repeated some of the same stories over and over again — the ones she holds closest to her heart. She tells them not for attention, but because she’s holding onto a part of her life that’s gone.

When someone reaches the tender age of 101, they know their time is limited. They know they’ll soon be crossing over to wherever they believe they’re going. Aunt Billie believes in heaven, and that’s exactly where she’ll go. But I imagine it weighs heavy on the heart: Am I worthy enough to meet my Creator?

Of course she is. But think about it — when they replay their memories, they’re remembering beautiful moments, yes… but they’re also, perhaps subconsciously, seeking reassurance that they were good people. That they mattered. That they’ll be welcomed home.

I remember when my granny passed away. I went to see her in the hospital. She died alone in her sleep, but the day I saw her, she was so frail… yet still so pretty. My granny looked just like Betty White. I stood over her bed and held her hand as she drifted in and out of consciousness.

There was a moment when she opened her eyes and said, with the most tender heart, “Dawna girl, did I do good? Was I good enough?”

Yes, Granny. You were more than good enough. I love you. Please give Grandpa a hug for me. You’ll be seeing him soon.

She squeezed my hand, closed her eyes, and fell asleep. I waited for her to wake up, but she didn’t. She slipped away in the middle of the night to be with her husband.

I can’t believe I’ve been missing this part of their stories. Older people need reassurance that they mattered. They need to know they did good here on earth. They need to know they are loved and that they will be missed. These are hard conversations, but they’re necessary ones.

Today, as I was getting ready to leave, Aunt Billie looked up at me and said, “I love you, Dawna girl.”

I kissed her forehead and told her I loved her too, and that I’d see her soon. I hugged her, hugged Janice, hugged Jean. As I walked toward the door, a man sitting nearby said, “Thank you.”

I giggled and said, “Sir, you’re not a lady, but you have an incredible rest of your day too.”

He smiled and said, “I just wanted someone to say goodbye to me too.”

So I walked over and hugged him. He put his hand on mine and said, “Thank you, young lady. Thank you for coming today.”

It could be seen as a surreal day — and it was — but it also left my heart so full. I didn’t do anything spectacular. I simply went to see my Aunt Billie. Along the way, I met a new friend. I heard a perfect love story. I hugged three women who have lived a century of history. And I made an old man’s day because he just needed someone to recognize his presence.

And this, my friends, is how my day was spent — surrounded by people who don’t want to be forgotten and who want to know they did good in life.

Have you ever had a moment like I had today? I’d love to know how it made you feel.

I’ll be honest — I felt honored. These moments with strangers, and of course with Aunt Billie, taught me lessons I’ll carry for the rest of my journey here on earth.

Tonight, when my head meets the pillow, I’ll drift off with quiet gratitude for the time I shared inside those walls today.

Well guys, it’s time for me to say goodnight.

Until next time, don’t forget…

Love Life++ Hugs, Dawna — may the butterflies remind you that we are all still becoming