Meeting Muriel

I was working in the front garden a couple of days ago when a lady passed by and commented on my progression so far. I was ready for a rest after weeding and being bent over for what seemed like days so I went over to meet Muriel and thank her for her comments.
I find gaging someones age very difficult but I could see from her soft leathered skin, wrinkled hands, and wind blown Grey hair that she was in her later years but her eyes shone brightly and she was very bright and animated in our conversation. Later she mentioned that she was coming up to her 70th birthday!
As our house is close to an assisted living complex I see lots of older people and it makes me smile to see the ones that are getting out and about rather than spending their lives indoors waiting to die. Muriel for instance is an avid outdoors woman and made me laugh when she said that she is bored not working any longer and has no desire to hang out with all the "old people" as she called them, so she walks for miles everyday and bird watches in different parks.
Muriel then told me about when she had learned to garden. Muriel is from London and was a child in WWII. Everyone was on rash ens during and after the war so learning to grow your own food was essential and encouraged by the government. She took those skills and built on them throughout her life, growing her own food and also gardening as a job when she moved to Canada. Gardening had always been a very important part of her life and she was very pleased to see i was making it a part of mine.
Muriel went on to tell me how wonderful dandelions are and how they can be eaten in so many ways (roots, leaves, flowers) and that organic gardening is the only way to go.
Yesterday I found a note in my letterbox from Muriel along with a organic gardening flyer. She underlined points of interest based on our conversation and I was thrilled to see that she had pointed out books for me to read, conservation and organic gardening meetings I can go to and websites I can use for research. The websites really made me smile as I love seeing older people embracing new ways of life and communication. Muriel is a hip broad!

Through talking with Muriel I see how much I could learn from this woman. Growing food, organic gardening, taking care of yourself and your family when your country is in political upheaval, how being a educated woman is crucial, and it makes me sad to think that her knowledge and that of so many like her is not cherished and passed on but is just left in exchange for our fast consumer privileged life styles. Well, not me. I will take any opportunity I get to talk with Muriel. To learn from her and hear her stories and I know that I will be a better person for it.

Blessed be to you all. Blessed be to my new friend Muriel!