Maybel is an elder who laughs easily so it is easy to spend time with her. Her parents were from Beijing, but she was born in the U.S. "I was good with my hands, so I trained to be a 'beauty operator.'" She laughed at the phrase. "50 cents for a wash and set. I would get twenty cents; the owner took thirty. But if you wanted a permanent, now that was $25."
She mentioned her husband, and I asked her if she kept working in the shop after she married. "Oh, no. My job was to tend to the children. Everything was for the children. We knew they had to be educated. That was our goal." I asked her if she ever was able to go to China. "No, we never did. We did not have the money for that." I sensed a little regret, but what really matters to her is that her children have successful careers, and that knowledge brings her peace. I told her that she and her husband left a beautiful legacy. She smiled and thanked me.
While her children are the immediate beneficiaries of that legacy, anyone who talks to Maybel can receive some of it because it is much more than financial. She bequeaths optimism. That is, if there is something you desire, you can work towards it. I have met other elders who share this gift of encouragement. It is a part of who they are. Wheelchairs, walkers, tremors, and even death cannot silence those voices. When we pause and listen closely, we will hear that life is worth the struggle. That love is real and we can receive.
Fulfilled are those who walk in simplicity, guided by the Mystery.
Content are those who are mindful of what is important
And go forward with an open heart.
Psalm 119:1-2, Journey through the Wilderness, Rabbi Yael Levy
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