By Vicki Scott
As I have mentioned in a previous article, my husband Alan took the buyout at Goodyear. His last day of work was Dec. 20, 2019, and he was a little more excited than I was. So far, Alan has followed me everywhere except for my job at George Wallace Senior Center in Glencoe. I will not tell you how many times he has reminded me to type my article. The only reason he has not been to the center is because he knows I will put him to work. Every time I leave the room, Alan wants to know where I am going. I have offered encouragement for him in different job opportunities, but he is still trying to decide what he wants to do next. So far, he has enjoyed staying in my business.
We visited my son Joseph and his family this past weekend. When we walked in, Joseph’s wife was yelling, “Stop! Leave me alone!” We found her walking in the kitchen with a mini version of my husband following right behind her. Like father, like son — such pests. Joseph has been off work for the past three weeks and seems to exhibit the same amount of energy as his dad. The scene was entertaining to watch and later I compared notes with my sweet and patient daughter in law. It was my son who talked me into deciding on my New Year’s resolution seven years ago, the only one I pretty much kept: having a hot meal ready for my husband when he came home from work. We had been married 26 years at the time, so I thought he was worth it. I guess since Alan is not working anymore, I don’t have to cook!
Aside from having to cook, the good news is that my husband qualifies for hot meals at George Wallace Senior Center. He agreed to volunteer once the novelty of freedom from work has worn off. In my opinion, the most physical job that our volunteers do is delivering a meal to each home bound client. There are three different volunteers on the van each day: the driver, the packer who puts the meal together and the runner who delivers the meals to and from the van. All three volunteers are vital to getting the food to our clients and are such a blessing to our clients and us. We would not be successful without our van volunteers and everyone else involved from getting the meals prepared to the serving and delivery. I praise God for all our volunteers!
It has been a blessing to have my hubby around. If he did not have the energy he has, I would be worried. My prayers are for God’s will on whatever adventure awaits us. I just hope I have the energy to keep up!