A Visit With Ramona

I left a note for my husband, asleep on the couch, and drove to Apple Valley. It wasn't a long drive--a mere four blocks down the street. I'm not sure where the "Apple Valley" came from as it's not a valley and there are no apple trees nearby. It is an assistive living complex and the place I may call home in another 10-20 years. I needed to go. I had not seen Ramona for weeks.

She sat in an upholstered chair near the entrance where she could watch others come and go. A friend, dressed in a vivid pink sweatshirt, her feet a foot off the floor due to her small stature, sat nearby.

Ramona offered coffee, a cookie, and a rocking chair. I sat and we chatted, smiled, chatted, and giggled like school girls. Although there is an age difference, I consider her a very precious friend. If it weren't for Ramona, I would not be posting this blog. You see, fifteen years ago, I joined a group called Alpha Writers--a group Ramona had initiated many years before. At that time, she emphatically told me, it is okay to say, "I am a writer."

During Alpha Writer's meetings, Ramona critiqued my poems. She is still the best person I know to assess, evaluate, and appreciate the nuances of what I write. I value her highly for this reason. I treasure her for many other reasons. She seeks to be purposeful. Relationships and communicating with others are important to her. She sees positive qualities in each of us. She makes Apple Valley a better place just because she is a part of their community.

It's interesting to me that our names often tell something about us. Ramona means mighty, wise, protector. In spite of her five foot height, she fits her name's meaning. She made my day!

Give me a faithful heart, a likeness to thee, that each departing day, I henceforth may see.... some work of  love begun, some deed of kindness done, some wand'rer sought and won, something for thee.      Sylvanus D. Phelps

Thank you, Ramona.