It takes some work and fun to age gracefully

Memmy, my great-grandmother, was a working woman all her life. At age 89, she went to work at 7 a.m. each weekday. She walked more than a mile from my grandparents' home, where she lived, to her job at the sewing factory where men's clothing was made.

Memmy did the finishing sewing on the suit lapels, and it was so fine that you couldn't even see those tiny stitches. They were the touches that made the suits expensive. She never bragged about her work, though. As soon as she arrived home in the late afternoon, she started in on household tasks, helping make dinner (which of course they called supper).

As I think about Memmy, I remember how she and I used to walk in the St. Charles Cemetery on Sunday afternoons, reading the poetry on the gravestones. That might sound macabre, but we enjoyed it. We would walk home, stopping off to visit Memmy's friends, and then sit on the porch side by side.

She went to bed about 8 o'clock, and sometimes I got to sleep alongside her. I loved doing that, but my mother didn't like it - she must have thought I would get some germs or something. Mother always said, "It's not good to sleep with old people." But I never slept alone in my life. I slept with my younger sister from the time I was two until I got married.

Even in her 80s, Memmy would come from Reading to visit our house in Philadelphia on every holiday, to help prepare the meal. She traveled by train alone very well.

Memmy was very religious, not in a sickening way, but she always had a Bible verse for every occasion.

I remember that whenever she was called on in church to lead the hymn, she always started way too high - at least for me. I was one of the few in the family without much musical talent. We were all lined up on the front bench, and it was just voices, because the Church of the Brethren didn't believe in playing music, just singing. Pop Nies sang bass, Pop Moyer sang tenor, my sister sang soprano, and I sang something like alto.

I was 19 when Memmy died, in her sleep.

Years later, I realized, when I looked at my reflection in the train windows, I looked like Memmy. Now that I am old, I think I look more like my father's mother. But like Memmy, who managed to stay out of trouble while living all her life with her red-haired, hot-tempered daughter-in-law, I have learned to walk away from my difficulties.

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For more than 60 years, the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) helped it members and others who are spinal cord injured to lead normal, productive lives. This organization has helped support legislation that allows veterans to purchase cars with special equipment needed for them to drive.

They have also established the Yale University Neuroscience and Regeneration Research Center, dedicated to spinal cord injury research.

The PVA reminds us that injuries that cause paralysis can be minimized by following a few safety tips:

Always wear your seat belt.

Equip your bathtub or shower with non-skid mats, abrasive strips and grab bars.

Keep lamp, telephone and extension cords out of the flow of traffic.

Make sure that all stairs are well-lit and have handrails.

Install non-skid strips on stairs.

PVA is one of my favorite organizations to support with contributions, and you may wish to learn more about them, by calling 1-800-555- 9140, or logging on to www.SupportVeterans.org

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Have you decided to make the drive over to Mobile to view the current exhibit called "Our Body - The Universe Within" at the Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center? (For information, call 1-877-625-4FUN or check www.exploreum.com) It sounds fascinating, if a little bit graphic.

I've collected some odd facts about our bodies that are amazing - and sometimes perturbing! For instance, did you know that a pair of human feet contains 250,000 sweat glands, and your feet have about a trillion bacteria on each one? Bet you're glad you found that out, folks.

See you next week!