“Our lives improve only when we take chances, and the first

and most difficult risk we can take is to be honest with ourselves.”

– Walter Inglis Anderson, 20th century American painter

“Why did you bother?”

At first, I was shocked by the question. I was amazed anyone would ask it, yet alone expect an answer. For about two years, I had spent an hour or so most Sunday afternoons at the Hillcrest Seniors’ Complex. I had come to visit, yes, but mostly to listen to the many stories and, far from inconvenient, the encounters had been fun, rejuvenating and energizing for me.

It had all begun one Sunday when I dropped by to visit a friend’s grandmother. She had recently moved into the seniors’ complex and my mothe...

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