Meet my friend Patty. She's striking because of 3 things. First, she always has a kind word and a smile. She often has thin, brightly colored ribbons streaming down her shoulder length hair. And then there is her posture, or lack of it. Patty is one of those folks who walks all bent over. It might have been scoliosis, but no body asks. On top of all this, Patty has been battling cancer for the last few years.
I met Patty in the Tai Chi class I've been taking for the past couple of years. When she can, she shows up. Sometimes she goes through the motions while sitting down, but more often than not, Patty keeps up, doing the best she can despite her physical limitations.
Patty is inspiration incarnate. When many of us older folks in the class are feeling tired, or sore, or just not our sharpest, Patty is there. She shows up. If she can, certainly we can too.
Patty likes a good joke and is a faithful "Dead Head." We often talk about the music of The Grateful Dead, or Jerry Garcia, or other things associated with that time and culture. When Patty had a bad fall recently, she injured her arm and pelvis. She's still in rehab, but many in the class are texting with her to keep in touch and wish her well.
Patty usually rides to and from the class with her sister. A few times, we've given her a ride home. Once, when we arrived at her house there was a neighborhood kid about 8 years old waiting for her. She later told us he often knocks on her door asking if she can play. I find this both endearing and remarkable. It made me wonder if Patty dresses up for Halloween. Given her appearance, if she got the right hat, and the right garment, she'd make an archetypal witch. Not th kind hat scares people, but the kind with special powers.
Last week, we sent Patty a get well text and I was wondering how to conclude. I visualized her in one of her Grateful Dead Tee or Sweatshirts. The colors, the artwork, the message. Then It hit me. "Keep on Truckin', Patty. We need you.
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