The Same Day (For Valentine's Day)

I was driving a regular customer, an older woman, to visit with her husband who lives at the Starr Farm Nursing Home. Josephine is thin and never without her over-sized dark sunglasses. She still dresses stylishly, strictly from Talbot's on Shelburne Road. She's a private person but for some reason she opened up to me on this day.

"Did you know that Frank and I met on blind date when he was at Harvard?"

"I didn't know that, Josephine. So, was it love at first sight?"

"Oh, goodness," she replied with girlish giggle. "Far from it. The date went horribly. You see, I was so very shy when I was young girl. Not anymore, mind you - life has taught me better. But he called me back, all right."

"That's a great story, Josephine."

"Wait - it gets better. We soon found out that we were birthday twins."

"Birthday twins? You were both born on the same day?"

"More than that. We were born on the same exact day. The same day and same year."

"Wow, that's quite amazing, actually. What a connection."

We arrived at the nursing home. This location is poignant for me - my father died here a few years ago. I asked, "How's Frank doing?"

"Not so well, Jernigan," she replied, not matter-of-factly exactly, but without evident emotion. It is how we humans survive this stuff. "He's had another stroke. But he's always glad to see me, so I think these visits help somehow."

Josephine paid me the fare and added, "There's no place I'd rather be than by his side. This never changes."