I Loved Lucy

My friend, Lucy, died last week.

Lucy and I moved into Heather Gardens Building 210 the same week and we quickly became friends. In a building where most people stay hidden behind closed doors, Lucy was an exception. She was out and about every day. A day without Lucy was a day without sunshine!

Here are the Top Ten Things I will miss most about her.

#10. Her wicked sense of humor. She loved telling me whenever there had been “a murder on the golf course.” She was referring to a goose who had been killed, usually by a coyote. She took me see the murder scene. We never found the goose but the area was littered with  feathers. I helped Lucy gather up the feathers to take home, much to the chagrin of her family, who are still cleaning feathers out of her apartment.

#9. Her laugh. Lucy was often the first person I would see in the morning. Her big smile and hearty laugh always started my day out right.

#8. Her stamina. Lucy walked all day long. She put more miles on her walker than I did on my car. 

#7. Her stories about growing up in Texas. Lucy was a great story-teller. She had a big life and her stories of rodeos and boarding school were magical to me. I grew up in Minnesota, where life is “pretty friggin’ boring” as Lucy was fond of saying.

#6. Her authenticity. Lucy told it like it was. There was no bull-shit from Lucy. 

And #5 … no filters. She maybe never had any filters. I found it refreshing to hear her swear every now and then. I hope this isn’t new information to any of you who knew her. I’m losing some of my filters, too.

#4. Her genuine love of people. Lucy made friends wherever she went. One day she sat on a bench with a new friend. They had such a good conversation, the woman gave her one of her old straw cowboy hats to wear. Lucy wore her new cowboy hat all day long, as she pushed her walker up and down the sidewalk.

#3. Her ability to amuse herself, especially when it was challenging to do so. She talked to her cat. She called dumpster-diving “my new hobby” and was delighted when she found a new treasure to haul home. She watched squirrels steal food from her bird feeder. She took special delight knowing that bird feeders are against the rules at Heather Gardens.

And #2. Lucy didn’t mind breaking the rules. I only wish she had lived a little longer, so we could break a few more.

#1. Her love for her cat. But mostly her love for her family ~ two daughters, one son, and her grandchildren. She loved above them all.

Adios, mi amiga. Vaya con Dios!