Images of nature

Some months ago I bought a Ouisi game for Margie, but I wasn’t at all sure she would enjoy it. I feared it would be a struggle for her, and I delayed taking it to her till today, but not at all! She loves it. I suggested we get our coffee nearby, to take out, and then go have a look at the game. We aren’t playing it as a game—she just loves looking at the little cards, each of which is a picture. She turns them around, views them from one angle and another, holds them at a distance and then close,  till she makes out what each image means.

I got her the “Nature” series, square cards with images of flora, fauna, and landscape. I was amazed at her fluency and ease, using words she seldom employs in our weekly conversations. She was tossing out vulnerable, fragile, predators, defensive, camouflage, evolutionary—with complete mastery. 

“Shells,” she told me, “are designed to protect the vulnerable, soft creatures inside them from predators. Some shells, you see—“ she pointed to a picture of abalone shell, “also provide camouflage. If you were a hungry fish, you wouldn’t even notice this shell. You might think it was just a lot of reflections. So to our eyes it’s beautiful, but to the creature inside, it’s safety.” 

I also noticed that  Margie wasn’t as tired as usual at  the end of our visit. The effort to tell stories and to keep up with a stream of ideas and memories (even her own ideas and memories) exhausts her and leaves her near collapse at the end of an hour. But today she was alert, sharp, active in mind and body. She walked me to the door and embraced me, “You are my very good friend,” she said, as  we kissed goodbye.

I said, as I usually say at the end of our visits, I’ll see you next week if you’re still here. She laughed and waved her arms like a bird taking flight, “I  might be gone, but don’t be sad if I am. I’ve had such a good time!”

Today is my beloved grandmother's birthday. She would be 125 today. She goes on living in me. 

Just heard the sad news that Dan Handelman died this afternoon.