and in the lighted palace near, died the sound of royal cheer.

On my way home from Knoxville this weekend, I stopped in Chattanooga to see my grandmother, who just recently moved into an assisted living facility. As usual, she wasn't there. She has a boyfriend who lives down the hall and they go on the group daytrips together on the community shuttle bus. I've never met him, but I hear he used to be a golfer. I imagine he wears collar shirts with pockets. He probably keeps a pen in his shirt pocket even though he never has anything to write down. You know, just in case.

As I was walking down the narrow hallway, dimly lit by large florescent lights on the ceiling, I noticed that every door was decorated. Wreaths, cross-stitched signs, plushy animals. Every door expressed the emotion of its tenant. My grandmother's door has a wreath my mom made for her, adorned with butterflies and birds and flowers. I left her a note letting her know I was there and stuck it in between the silk flowers on her wreath.

Below her wreath I noticed a doorknob hanger that says, "I'm OK." Almost every door has this same sign on their door. I guess it's to let others know you are out of your room and "OK." But it's odd to see so many little signs. I would want mine to say "I'm Awesome" or "I'm Alive!" or "I'm Out A-Wandering." Maybe I'll make my grandmother a happier sign. Because when you're that old, you shouldn't just be OK. You should be living life to its fullest!