” If wrinkles must be written upon our brows, let them not be written upon our hearts. ”    President James Garfield       This post is inspired by a rather unusual person by the name of Edna. I don’t have a photograph of her so I substituted a rose which fits her well. Edna lives in the same assisted living facility where Cheryl’s father resides. She just celebrated her eighty-fourth birthday with her family. They went out to eat at a local restaurant-all but Edna, that is. She developed a swallowing disorder several years ago which caused her to aspirate. She almost died of pneumonia a year ago. As a result of her condition she now has a feeding tube. She mixes her pureed food together at mealtime and pours it into her feeding tube without ever tasting what she just mixed up. She doesn’t complain, but simply accepts this is how she has to live. Edna uses a wheelchair quite often because she is unstable while standing, but this doesn’t prevent her from leading exercise class for some of the residents! She is a joy to talk with as she is always positive. She is a simple person without pretense. She takes pride in working most of her life as a maid…and she loved it. She is intelligent and vibrant and a pleasure to be around. She may have wrinkles on her brow, but her soul is young.