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- MAJ P. on Planning for a Life in the U.S. Military BY Matthew Capwell
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Monday Life Lessons
Looking down at her smile, I realize that I relish my Mondays with her as much as she enjoys my visits. Two years earlier, when a college bound friend asked me if I could help his grandma once a week, I never thought I would learn anything from the experience. By assisting Mrs. Coppolelli with mindless housework, I have gained more knowledge, about myself and maturity, than I ever thought possible.
BY KATIE CRONIN
Dressed in running clothes with sweat still clinging to my skin, I wait on the doorstep for Mrs. Coppolelli to open the door. I hear her arthritic hands fumble with the inside door knob and unlock the latches for me to enter. Her wrinkled brown face has twinkling blue eyes which greet me with a smile. “Katie, how are you? So glad you are here.” As I wait for her to slowly climb her own stairs as she clings to the rail, I prepare to catch her, just in case she were to fall. My eyes scan the 1960’s wallpaper and velvet couch, which make me feel like I am traveling back in time.
As always, a list of chores is waiting on the counter. While I cut perfectly rectangular pieces of cardboard for the bottom of her brown trash bags, we talk and she tells me about her week. She proudly describes how she completed two errands in the same day! We continue to share our stories as I begin cracking the walnuts which she has laid out for me. Watching her lean over the counter to keep her balance, I admire her determination and positive attitude. She is too proud to sit down while she sees me “working” in her home. Neatly piling the shells in a heap on a paper towel, she refuses to let me throw them out; she insists “I can do that when you leave.”
On to her bedroom, she shuffles her feet and lightly pants following me. With a new light bulb waiting on her bureau, I attempt to gain my balance while standing on her bed to give her new light. Looking down at her smile, I realize that I relish my Mondays with her as much as she enjoys my visits. Two years earlier, when a college bound friend asked me if I could help his grandma once a week, I never thought I would learn anything from the experience. By assisting Mrs. Coppolelli with mindless housework, I have gained more knowledge, about myself and maturity, than I ever thought possible.
As a child who was always characterized as “mature and wise beyond my years,” I assumed that I would gracefully ascend into adulthood without adversity. Through my visits with Mrs. Coppolelli, I have learned that becoming a mature adult is not as straightfoward as my naive mind once perceived. I see myself in Mrs. Coppolelli. She is a proud woman who shares my determination to meet goals and strive for excellence. We both aim to do the best we can each and every day, but old age has hindered her physical capability. Mrs. Coppolelli never planned on slowly losing her independence, but it happened none the less. No matter how organized I am or how well I plan, adulthood is messy, and confusing, and chaotic, and it’s not always possible to handle it all on my own. I have learned from Mrs. Coppolelli that it is okay to ask for help when you need it, and to accept that not everything is always going to be perfect.
As a prepare to enter college, I realize more each day that the lessons I have learned at Mrs. Coppolelli’s are invaluable. The next four years are going to present completely new challenges, that I will have to overcome as an independent adult. Although, I pride myself on my work ethic and organizational skills, I know now that life does not always go as planned. I have to take each new experience, good or bad, in stride and have confidence in my abilities. I recognize that it is not a sign of weakness to ask for help when I need it, and that sometimes, the events in my life I did not plan on, are some of the most meaningful, like my friendship with Mrs. Coppolelli.