You Get Along Better When You See Somebody

I listened to one of the two women at table 8 try to recite the alphabet. She got it right this time.
It was her third attempt.
She comes in every single day and every day she has a more difficult time than the day before. One evening, while she prepared to eat her dinner in her usual spot she began to squeeze a wedge of lemon above her fish, she stopped mid squeeze.
"What was I putting this on?" She asked.
The girl I work with and I told her she was putting it on her trout. She shook her head and laughed.
Today she had walked over to the clubhouse with a lady who lives in her building she used to eat with frequently. I put the coffee on the burners and made sure the cooler was stocked with wine for the dinner shift and sort of half-listened to their conversation. Shortly after the one had vanquished the alphabet, they began to talk about their ailments, as old people frequently do.
"Well there's a difference between just sort of feeling bad all the time and being in pain all the time."
"I know it, but I feel bad and I'm in pain all the time," responded the other.
"Well, yeah, but sometimes you get along better when you see somebody," said the first.
I was floored. But I shouldn't have been surprised.
One of the things I admire most about these members is the sense of community they have. They experience everything together. When times are good, they are there for one another. When things are bad, they are there for one another. And when times are at the lowest of low and they experience pain or loss, there are always people there to let them know they have someone if they need them. And when this lady, who can hardly even say her ABCs, told her friend "you get along better when you see somebody," she was letting her know she was there for her if she needed.
And her friend nodded and said "I know it. We should do this more." and then she promptly followed it with, "is my lipstick smeared?"
Life is lived better when you're with other people.
And yes. Her lipstick was smeared.