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Editorial
Happy birthday,
Mrs. Fletcher
. Mrs. Martha (Mattie Ball) Fletcher celebrated her 99th •birthday on Monday. Along with her family, President and •Mrs. Ronald Reagan, Sen. John Warner, Willard Scott and all .of her many friends throughout the county and beyond, we’d Hike to extend our best wishes as well.
Mrs. Fletcher refused to grant the occasion any weight. ’“The only thing old age is good for,” she told a room full of visitors Monday morning, “is as an excuse for all the things I haven’t gotten done.” Those who have known Mrs. Fletcher, however, would remind her of the many things which she has e($ne, the many lives she has touched and made richer. J Mrs. Fletcher, for her part, said that she had planned to gfraway and hide out on Monday, and only a “slight spell” last Weekend prevented her from being nowhere to be found when qiOers knocked on her door Monday. Each one of her visitors, however, seemed delighted to find her at home; and each Se#med to depart a little happier.
It’s appropriate, especially as we make preparations to celebrate Thanksgiving, a holiday traditionally observed with fkfluly, that one of Rappahannock’s oldest residents marks Another milestone.
Though Mrs. Fletcher didn’t mention it, there’s another important thing that age imparts. It’s a wisdom, a way of looking at life, which enriches the lives of all those who take time to listen.
That listening is important, and is something that too few people take the time to do. Our older citizens, whether they .^relatives, neighbors or acquaintances, have a wealth of knowledge — our heritage — to share. The holiday is an appropriate time to reflect on that heritage. -I * And to Mrs* Fletcher, a happy birthday, and many happy returns.
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