Sanford

Every Thursday from 2-4pm, I sit with my neighbor Sanford.

I've told many of you (and I may have even blogged about it?) but when we moved from our rental here to our new home, I was very sad to leave my elderly neighbors there. I loved Lee and Daisy and felt a real loss at being clear across town from them.

Ironically (although, I think that word doesn't do it justice) the day we moved into our new home, my neighbor across the street walked over with cookies to introduce herself. Her last name surprised me as it was the same as the neighbors that I had just left. Come to find out...Her husband was Lee's brother!

Sanford will be 100 years old this coming fall.

He is officially the oldest "king of one-liners" that I have ever met!! He can totally crack me up!

I usually walk in and give him a pat on the shoulder and the conversation goes like this...

"Hey, Sanford...How are you doing today?"

"I'm kickin'...just not too high!"

"Sanford..you're so funny. You're rotten, too!"

"I'm not rotten...I'm almost 100 years old-I'm ripe!"

He then says...And I mean EVERY TIME he says-

"I'm from Tomb County, Georgia. That explains it, right? I'm almost dead."

Sanford's wife Pat is 27 years younger than him so I have become really close to her. I watch her day in and day out take care of Sanford and still she leaves him notes around the house when she runs errands, telling him that she loves him.

It is true, willful dedication and I respect her for that.

My mom raised me to despise any neighbor that was less than a 1/2 mile from your house (Sorry, mom..but it's true) but I love my little couple across the street. They represent what so many from my generation need to learn to be.

I know I am...