"Age is catching up to her..."

That's what I heard on the phone this morning from my cousin L, who goes to my Aunt Dolly's house from time to time..... to look in on her, stay with her for a while, bring her to doctors' appointments. L keeps her company for days or weeks at a time, just so Aunt Dolly won't be in that big house all by herself all of the time.

Speaking of that big house, she may not be in it for very much longer. My cousin S is going to get Aunt Dolly and drive her down to where he lives in Florida. The neighborhood where my aunt lives hasn't been "safe" for a good long while, and now it's just getting out of control. My aunt's neighbor has been robbed three times in the past month alone. Only by the grace of the angels has my aunt and her home been spared. That house was built in 1922 by my grandfather, and it's been the family home ever since.

My cousin S in Florida wants my aunt to sell it, of course..... he's been wanting her to do that for at least ten years, but my aunt has always resisted. This is my home! That's what she says to anyone who suggests that she sell that big house.

I called there today to say hello to her, and my cousin L was there with my aunt, while workmen were in the house installing yet another alarm system. This is the second one, both of which were installed at the insistence of my cousin S in Florida. Surely, even S must know that no alarm system in the world is going to keep someone out of where they want to go... it just may delay them for a little while.

My cousin L seems to think that my aunt really knows in her heart now that she has to leave that house. I didn't get a chance to talk to my aunt this morning, because she was busy watching the workmen installing the alarm, and they were giving her lessons on how to use it. My Aunt Dolly just celebrated her 94th birthday.... she's as independent as when she was in her thirties and forties, and she still can't believe she's in her 90s now.

But her body knows..... and the doctors say that all the years have taken their toll. What a sad thing to hear.