Last Woman Standing...

During one of my work shifts I checked in two upbeat elderly Ontarian women. They were incredibly charming and high in spirits. They looked great for their age; I guessed they were in their late-40s. But the ladies surprised me with their IDs when they asked for the Senior Citizen’s discount - both were in their 70s!

They asked me how to get to the underground mall, and I figured they must be first-timers in the city. I wish I hadn’t inquired about it. They explained that they used to be regular visitors to Montreal once upon a time, but those visits stopped several years ago.

You see, all their friends and colleagues are now dead, their words not mine. This year they decided to try something different. Rather than avoiding Montreal as their contacts no longer exist here, they were going to come anyway and do some extensive shopping.

I didn’t know what to say, and simply wished them “happy shopping.” What’s the appropriate thing to say in such a situation? They clearly were not sad, they seemed like they already got through their closure. Perhaps they’d seen so many of their friends pass away that it just became a routine for them.


The thought gave me goose bumps. Agreed death is unavoidable. But imagine being the only two left alive in your friend circle? No one to chuckle through inside jokes with, no one to reminisce with over your childhood years, no one who shared any part of your history. I feel so heavy right now. I hope those two ladies have each other’s company until the very end.