A Chance Meeting

A Chance Meeting
Amie Nguyen

While I was shopping at the grocery store an older lady stopped to see Lucy and she asked if she was my first. (Everyone asks and their jaws drop when I say she's my third.) To my surprise instead of making some rude comment about me having too many kids (when I still want more), she said, "Well you ought to stop at ten. I was the tenth child and I am the only one left." She proceeded to tell me all about her mom’s life and how she homebirthed them all and the only time she went to the hospital was to die. She cried. I was so sad, but happy at the same time. It was wonderful to meet her. I felt compelled to ask her to lunch or something but I refrained. Now I wished I had. She was lovely. I had no idea (after telling her about my great grandma who is 96) that she is 89! The woman is still living with her husband, grocery shopping, and driving! Wow. I want to look and function like that when I am her age.