“We are on a little trip from South Bend, Indiana to enjoy some Southern warmth and sun. I brought four books for the trip. My husband is a golfer and he golfs every other day. The other days he spends with me. We met in high school and have been married for 57 years. Our oldest son died three years ago. He was 54. He survived with a double lung transplant for a year. We are so thankful for organ donors and an additional year of his life.”

“We ate lunch at Spot of Tea. I was impressed by the young people there. It makes me feel better about the future. I was thinking about sitting here reading. In my younger days, I wouldn’t have taken this opportunity to sit on a bench and be still. I was too busy. It didn’t cross my mind to just sit here and watch people. I have missed out on this. We are trying to pass some of our values to our grandchildren. I told my grandson he is going to enter a new chapter in life that could include marriage. The worst thing that could happen is to get married and have a divorce. In my mind, divorce is worth than death. Consider well who you are going to spend your life with. You want to find someone who will totally dedicate her life to you and you will totally dedicate your life to her. If you don’t have that commitment to each other, forget it.”