Since May, I have been dealing with multiple health issues. Robert has been taking care of me, even though he is also experiencing health challenges. I like to think we are taking care of each other, but the truth is, he has been doing more for me this time around.
Thank you, Robert, for your wisdom, your humor, and your kindness. Thank you for always being there for me.
A comment on a recent post, “Approaching Age 77: Reflections on the Meaning of Life” caused me to dig a little deeper. Laura Bruno Lily commented …”I am especially attuned to your poems, ‘Empathy’ and ‘Legacy’ in this moment.”As I wrote a response, my comment got longer and longer until it grew into this post. Thank you, Laura!
Over the last few years I have found myself becoming increasingly empathetic. At the same time, I realized that I have unwittingly been insensitive to others in the past. I guess that is the uncomfortable aspect of getting wiser as you age.
I remember, at the beginning of the Independent Living Movement, watching the news and seeing people demonstrating in Washington, DC for their civil rights. As a young working mother struggling in the workplace, I wondered why in the world they were so eager to work!
Drew Batavia with Joe and Katey Batavia
About a decade later, I moved to DC and became a 24/7 live-in caregiver for Drew Batavia, a young quadriplegic attorney who was active in the Independent Living Movement. I was there beside him every step of the way, traveling with him to conferences and speaking engagements domestically and internationally, documenting inaccessabe street crossings and businesses all over DC, proofreading articles and books.
Most of those years I was a fulltime student, and later, a fulltime teacher. After I became a teacher, I always continued to care for Drew on nights and weekends to give us a private life.
Seven years after meeting, we married, moved to Miami Beach, and adopted a Russian brother and sister. Drew and I shared eighteen years together before Drew died at the age of forty-two.
Concern with legacy is a recognition of our mortality, but recognition of mortality also results in increasing empathy for those we may leave behind.We wish to shield them from making some of the same mistakes we have made, knowing full well that we must all make our own mistakes and learn from them. Still, it’s always worth a try!
I remember my grandfather, when I was in high school. He took me to practice driving in a parking lot in his huge, ten-year-old, metallic baby blue Cadillac. Wanting to protect me from making mistakes, he shared some of his regrets. I cherish those precious times spent with Grandpa, but ultimately, I still had to make my own mistakes.
If you can benefit from the mistakes of others, especially when you are young, I think you are pretty smart! I also believe you are truly exceptional!
Life is a gift. It is up to us to make it meaningful. Photo by Renee Asmussen from Pexels.
What is a Meaningful Life?
The answer to this essential question is unique to each person. Our values may be fairly simple and straightforward, but the details, the way values are lived, are complex and infinitely varied!
Approaching my seventy-seventh birthday next month, I wrote poems about the values that are most meaningful to me. Reaffirming my values was a valuable exercise for me. I try, with varying degrees of success or failure, to live by these values; the details are different every day!
A Meaningful Life
A circular view of the rainbow. Photo by Jakob Owens from Unsplash.
Integrity
Following conscience,
an ethical path through life…
Finding peace of mind.
One Human Family. Photo by Diva Plavalaguna from Pexels.
Empathy
Loving our neighbors.
Living by the Golden Rule…
one human family.
Exploring our world. Photo of dolphins by James Dimas from Unsplash.
Mindfulness
Exploring our world.
Gratitude for life’s blessings…
at one with nature.
Working to make Earth a better place. Photo of a honeybee by Darius Cotoi from Unsplash.
Purpose
Potential fulfilled.
Making Earth a better place…
a meaningful life.
Experience shared. Photo by Vitaly Gariev from Unsplash
It was the rest day at the end of the road trip with my daughters. We had planned a trip to the beach, but Katey wanted to sleep in. Cheryl was worn out!
Ellen went to the beach by herself and found an opportunity for just one more adventure… parasailing. Ellen sent me these photos of her great adventure to share on my blog. I hope you enjoy them. I know I did!
A small boat carries a very excited Ellen out into the Gulf of Mexico.Let’s go!Up, up, and away!This is so cool!This is great!A beautiful view!We’re losing altitude!We’re gonna splash down…Wow! What an incredible experience!
A new elevated walkway at a rest stop gave us an opportunity to stretch our legs. Ellen walked the entire walkway. Cheryl just climbed to the tower and enjoyed the view, the cool breeze, and the company of birds.
Artistic Landscaping featuring native plants has a subtle beauty that welcomes wildlife and visitors. We saw one tiny alligator in the water, but animals come and go as they please, so you might see more on another day.You can see the wetlands for miles from the tower. Looking down, Cheryl saw many different birds from this cool, shady vantage point.Katey, didn’t I tell you not to feed the alligators?
Feeding Tarpon Before Breakfast
Ellen’s presence caused a commotion!Ellen feeding tarpon, a fish popular with anglers. The largest one we saw was about four feet long.
This little guy tried hard, but was out-competed by bigger fish!
One of the big guys gets the fish!
Walking around Theater of the Sea
The show begins.
This Parrot thinks he is a big star, and he will perform when he is good and ready. The other tropical birds in the show and the spectators will just have to wait until he finishes his pedicure.
The Seal Show is delightful. You can also book a swim with the seals.
Sea turtles like lettuce.
A Manta Ray prefers a large fish.
Theater of the Sea also has sharks, crocodiles, tortoises and other animals.
Everglades National Park Boat Tours
The Starlight boat tour included a spectacular sunset, stars, and bioluminescent seaweed. Fish in the boat wake were eating seaweed, an exciting sight. A very informative presentation. Our guide, who developed this popular new boat tour, was knowledgeable about the various constellatioons we saw and the mythological stories about them. She also told us about the history of the area. Coot’s Bay was named for the ducks that used to live there before engineering projects turned it to saltwater.
Photo by Arnold Dogelis from Unsplash.
It was a beautiful day in Everglades National Park for our daytime boat tour.
Lovely reflections!
Can you find the baby American crocodile hiding among the mangrove roots?
A large mangrove tree.Tannins in the water camoflauge this small manatee.Our guide was very knowledgeable about the wildlife we saw and the turbulent history of what is now Everglades National Park. The area around the town of Flamingo was inhabited by Plume hunters and charcoal manufactures. The flamingos are back and multiplying, but to see them, you have to rent a kayak and go to another area.
Everglades National Park is still home to the Micosukee tribe of Native Americans. Their villages, airboats rides, and restaurants are scattered throughout the Park.
Robert is Here Zoo & Farm Stand
Katey went back for more lettuce. 11 AM, but it seems to be lunchtime already!
Still nursing, this calf also enjoys hay!Ellen feeds lettuce to the Mama cow.Aw, what a sweet face!Where’s my watermelon?Ellen bought watermelon just for the emus.Relaxing in the shade.Tortoises in their “tunnels”, and iguanas everywhere!
A Big Thank You to Katey & Ellen for providing the photos!
Katey and Ellen meet the dolphins.Hello, Elllen!Hi, Katey!A kiss from Katey.Paddleboard fun! Ellen being towed by a dolphin.Katey, paddleboard.Ellen gets a ride from two dolphins.Ellen. What a thrilling ride!Katey’s turn.A pat from Ellen.Diving with the dolphins. Katey.
Katey and the dolphin diving.
Bye!, Ellen and Katey! It was fun…Come back soon!
Photos by Theater of the Sea Photography, Islamorada, Florida
Ask and you’ll be given the key to this heart of mine.
I’ll be waiting there with my arms unfurled.
Waiting just for you… Welcome to my world!
Splish, Splash! I was taking a bath. Rub-a-dub-dub, just relaxing in the tub…thinking everything was alright.
Splish, splash! Well, how was I to know there was a party going on?
Movin’ and a grovin’, rockin’ and a rollin’! Flip, flop! They was doin’ the bop…(They all had) the dancin’ bug!
Photos are by photographers at Theater of the Sea, Islamorada, Florida.
Road Trip with My Daughters, Ellen & Katey
Happy Birthday, Ellen!
Thankfully, Robert is feeling well enough for me to go away for a few days. It was wonderful spending time with my daughters again! We celebrated Ellen’s fifty-seventh birthday at an Asian fusion restaurant the night they arrived.
Travel Day
The drive across Alligator Alley and down the Keys the next day was spectacularly beautiful. The Key lime pie at dinner that night exceeded expectations.
Feeding Tarpon, Theater of the Sea
& Starlight Boat Tour at Everglades National Park
The next day, we had breakfast at an open air restaurant on the bay and fed bait fish to the tarpon. I confess that I just watched. Tarpon are very large fish popular with Florida fishermen. After breakfast, we headed over to Theater of the Sea in Islamorada, FL.
Ellen and Katey sent me this Mother’s Day E-card. My swim with the dolphins and the photos are my Mothers Day present from my daughters.
Swimming with the dolphins at Theater of the Sea was a thrilling and heartwarming experience. I went on the shallow water dolphin encounter, a Mother’s Day gift from my daughters. We took in shows with parrots, seals, dolphins, and tortoises. Ellen and Katey went on the deep water dolphin encounter. Then we drove to Everglades National Park, eating snacks for supper as we drove, and arriving just in time to board our boat for the starlight tour.
The Starlight boat tour in Everglades National Park was fascinating, beautiful, and a very different experience. Our guide was the originator of this unusual tour. Going in late May, we had to contend with mosquitos and horse flies on the night boat tour. Bug spray was useless! The best time to visit the Everglades is from November-March.
Kayaking, Boat Tour, Everglades National Park,
Havana Spice & Robert is Here
The next day, we spent some time at a small museum in the visitor center and picked up some souvenirs in the gift shop. On the daytime boat tour, we saw many magnificent Florida animals and learned a lot about the wildlife and the history of the area. Our guide was excellent!
That night, we had supper at Havana Spice in Florida City, a delicious Cuban meal. The coconut flan was outstanding!
The next day, on our way home, we stopped at Robert is Here, our favorite produce market/zoo in Florida City. We fed the animals and bought some local fruit.
Back Home, Rest Day, Parasailing
Katey and I took it easy, but Ellen went to the beach and discovered an opportunity to go parasailing! The next morning, the girls were on the road to Orlando to celebrate my great niece’s destination high school graduation.
Watch for more posts from our road trip: Deep Water Dolphin Swim, Animal Shows, Boat Tours, Parasailing, and more!
My children, Katey, Ellen, and Joe visit with my mother, Marian, in Winchester, Virginia. Photo taken around 1997.Christmastime in Hollywood, Florida. My mother and my children. First Christmas in the US for Katey and Joe after they arrived from Russia in early October, 1996.
Wishing a Joyous Mother’s Day to Mothers and Families Everywhere!
I am overjoyed to be celebrating Mother’s Day with my daughters on the annual road trip we have missed for the last two years due to Robert’s and my illnesses. My daughters are giving me the swim with the dolphins in the Keys that I missed last year as a Mother’s Day gift. My daughter Katey is making me photo albums with old and new family photos for Mother’s Day. We will be taking two boat tours in Everglades National Park. I plan on eating a little Key lime pie and hopefully, seeing some flamingos.
Our visit will be from 5/14- 5/20. I will share a post on our trip after we return.
I am also looking forward to a Mother’s day call from my son. We will celebrate when we can!
Ellen and Katey with Skipper the Dolphin at Theater of the Sea last year.
My Mother, Marian Nicholson at the beach a week before her 90th birthday.
Quoting Mom
__Life on the Blue Planet
You Might as Well Laugh as Cry!
For about three years, this book has been ready to be published. I approved it for publication in September, 2025 and announced here on my blog that it was coming soon. I am so sorry for the delay in publication and for the unauthorized disaster of an ebook!
I do not understand quite how that happened, but rather than trying to place blame, I will just take my mother’s good advice… laugh, and continue working on the projects I have underway. I hope to return to blogging soon.
