Mary
I wasn’t in the mood for bridge, but that’s what I did on Saturday afternoons. I’d been playing bridge for years and the women at the club would be disappointed if I didn’t show up. To be honest, there were days when they drove me crazy with their complaints about the club. “The service isn’t what it used to be.” “Can’t those young people tuck in their shirts better?” “Why don’t they fix up the main dining room instead of the nineteenth hole?”
By the time I arrived, they were setting up.
Janet waved. “Hi, Mary. How was your week?”
“Good. And yours?”
“Not bad. Arthritis is bothering me. Just can’t knit the way I used to.”
One thing I noticed about women and men my age is that we constantly talk about our ailments. It was sort of like the weather, always top of mind.
I sat with Janet, Barb and Bernice. “How are your grandchildren, Barb?”
“Good. The youngest is in college now. Hard to believe how quickly the time has gone.”
“What about yours, Bernice?”
“I just learned I’m going to be a great-grandmother again.”
“Congratulations,” I said.
As much as I wanted children, I never thought I’d be the one with none. I’d grown accustomed to being the odd one out with no children or grandchildren to boast about. I never had much to add to the conversation but I told them about Rachel and Piper.
“They sound like wonderful girls,” Janet said. “Shame they had such a troubled mother.”
I sipped my coffee. “It sounds like she was better by the time Piper came along, but Rachel has had it tough. She even dropped out of school to care for Piper. I’d like to find a way to help her if I can.”
Bernice laid down a card. “You’re always wanting to fix things, Mary. I don’t think I know anyone who volunteers or gives back as much as you do.”
“That’s because she doesn’t have any children of her own,” Janet said.
Janet’s comment stabbed me in the heart. My face got hot and I was sure it was the color of Bernice’s lipstick.
“Oh, sorry,” Janet said. “I didn’t mean for it to come out that way.”
I held up my hand. “It’s okay. Really. You’re right. I don’t have any children and it’s probably why I do try to help others when I can. Just like the kids in the NICU.”
“What are you doing in the NICU?” Barb asked.
I explained about being a cuddler. “The little babies are so darling. It’s truly amazing some of them even survived. They were born so young.”
“My granddaughter had a preemie,” Bernice said. “His head wasn’t any bigger than an orange. Now he’s six feet tall and has hands as big as a plate.”
I smiled.
“Do you think they’d like some little booties or hats for the babies?” Janet asked. “I could knit some. That is, if my arthritis doesn’t get worse.”
“I can help with that,” Barb said.
“I’m not as great a knitter as the two of you, but I could help, too,” Bernice said.
By the time we finished playing bridge, we had a plan to supply the NICU with hats and booties, and I planned to see what else the nursery needed.