For anyone who would like a little cheerfulness this morning!
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My infamous mother in law turned 90 last ?week. Much as she has aggravated me over the years, I have to admire the determination and even gallantry with which she has faced and dealt with declining physical health and fitness and a slow but steady increase in her dementia.
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She is very competitive and, ever since her husband turned 90 just 18 months ago, has been looking forward to her own 90t birthday which she intended to celebrate? with even more pomp and ceremony than he had! Unfortunately the odds were against her, Glasgow has been in severe restrictions for months (No non-essential shops, no restaurants or cafes, no meetings indoors or out, no travel, no visitors, no hotel stays etc). So everything we had planned as a family was off. We ordered an individually decorated cake of her favourite sort from the famous Betty¡¯s of Harrogate in Yorkshire ?(lovely people so happy to help with such an occasion), sent up a large box of mystery parcels, managed (with some difficulty) to teach father in law how to connect to Skype for a group call in the evening, and awaited developments.
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The in laws have lived in the same area for over 60 years, shopped locally, visited their GP clinic three times weekly for years (long story) and are a very familiar sight either trotting slowly around or, in ?fine weather, sitting on the balcony of their fairly basic apartment, a third floor one with an open, concrete stairwell which has no protection from strangers or from the elements.
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Well, during the night before the birthday, some people got in to the stairwell and even through the wrought iron railings and private gate which they put in to separate the balcony from the public areas. And they did some things¡¡..
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When MIL and FIL opened their curtains on the birthday morning, they found that the neighbours had conducted a ¡°midnight raid¡± on the premises. The balcony, railings, gate, the stairwell, everything was decorated with streamers and balloons. A massive banner facing out to the street, custom printed, read ¡°Sadie Swanson is 90 today¡±. There were flowers, and more were delivered as the day went on. The GP took time from work in her lunch hour and visited them herself with cards and gifts from the staff and receptionists (and kindly took pictures so we could see what was happening, which she e mailed to us ¨C what a wonderful woman).
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All day, a stream of bouquets arrived until they ran out of vases. MIL had so many cards there was no-where to display them. Passing busses honked and hooted for her, passers-by waved and cheered. They had a superb day after 9m months of isolation and restrictions. And MIL¡¯s comment in the evening when we skyped her? ¡°They didn¡¯t need to tell the whole world that I was 90¡±.
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But really she was thrilled. It wasn¡¯t the birthday she had planned, nor yet the one she anticipated, but it was special just the same. The shops re-opened the following day so she was able to wear her ¡°90¡± badge and tiara.
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It¡¯s so good to learn how kind people can be. As MIL said, many of the people who sent a card or? flowers she would barely recognise in the street.
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Hope everyone is hanging on and waiting for better times. My parents get their first covid vaccinations tomorrow and the Gp practice led by my sister started vaccinating locally here yesterday. Stirring times.
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Jenny
