"would you like to take anything with you?"

She asked me that question yesterday and I chuckled.
She asked me today and I looked at her a little more closely.
"No, I am fine."

I must have been eying her plate a little too longingly I thought.

"No, not to eat."

I stopped in my tracks. What was this about?
"Thank you but I don't need anything."

"Go look around. See if there is anything you want."

Anything I want? Oh no.
Of course there is. There are antique clocks and paintings and tapestries and books.
But wanting and wanting to take are two different things. I do not like it when people say these sorts of things to me. It makes me wonder a little too deeply about where her inventory will wind up.

"You have some amazing things. I love your home. But I love to see your things with YOU.
In YOUR house."

It did not faze her.
"It won't be my house for much longer. You should take something."

"No but thank you. I really think you should keep your own things until you cannot."
" we are there now." She said without sadness.

She has no family. She has a *friend* who looks in on her. She lives on a street that has gone from being "desirable" to being "almost unattainable"--- very very chi-chi, very tony, very uppercrust. I hope she gets to move into a VERY NICE assisted living space. Somehow, I have the feeling she will end up in the extended care wing, possibly even the locked wing.

When I am old and on my own, will I be giving my stuff away to the woman who comes to check my meds too? If I do, I suppose it will be my choice to do so.

Would I ever take anything?
No. Of course not.
I wish I could say the same of everyone. Wouldn't it be nice to think that she would get fair value for all her items and be able to use that money to end her days in high style?
Her home is probably worth 1/2 million dollars now.
Where will she be in 6 months?
--------

As my sister would say:
"Its the curse of the second sight."
As I would say:
"Alas. Human nature show itself all too often."
--and I dont mean the lovely fading woman.