The last thing I expected on my drive over to pay our rent, was to meet our Landlady's son at the door and hear that she has passed away.
It's not as if Mary was young. She made it to the age of ninety-two and she hadn't lost one bit of her spark. Mary instantly loved my wife Erin and wanted us as tenants. This despite the fact that other prospects had better credit.
A House On The Beach In Oceanside
The drive over to our Landlady's house isn't too far from where we live. It takes about 10 - 15 minutes, depending on traffic. I've been over at least three times before today as it's easier than mailing in the rent.
Stopping by also gave me the chance to speak with Mary for a few minutes and catch up with her. Something I hope other people will do for me if I should live that long.
Today it was Chris who met me at the door, to my utter confusion. You see, I hadn't met Chris before but I had met Mary's son Randy. Before I could make sense of all this (because Chris looks just like Randy), he hit me with the news.
The news of Mary's passing was shocking and only served to deepen my confusion. I played it off well by continuing to offer my condolences until my mind sorted it all out.
Watching The Boats Float By
By this time, Chris had invited me into the house and our conversation continued. He explained that it happened very suddenly as Mary was in good health. She simply wasn't feeling while out to dinner so her sons brought her home. She passed later on that night.
I can attest to her spritefulness, as she still drove her truck during the day. She did all the paperwork when we rented the place and made sure we were all set up.
As I stood there in shock listening to Chris, I couldn't help notice how awesome the house Mary lived in truly was. The back wall faces the Pacific Ocean and there's nothing in the way of the view but beach sand.
A couple larger vessels motored by about a mile or so out while Chris told me the story. They had just had the Celebration of Life for Mary yesterday and all her pictures were still out on the tables.
There was a sadness in the house, but not the type that comes with a family tragedy. Randy, Mary's other son who we have met, was on his way over and I didn't want to take up any more of their time.
Don't Take Life For Granted
As I sit here writing about the passing of our Landlady, she serves as a great example of a life fully lived. By all accounts, Mary didn't shrink from the hardships of life. Rather, she conquered them like a lioness!
Her exit from this material realm also serves as a great reminder to all of us. Tell those you care about that you love them everyday. Don't sit around waiting for life to happen. Get to it every morning, even if you don't have a direction to go.
Thanks for choosing us to safeguard your townhouse Mary. We'll always remember and appreciate you!
And thank you for reading and for your time.
As always...
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