I love to see Georgina and Bert sitting and laughing together in their Secret Garden.

There is some smiling in the Mansion, but not too much laughter.  It is challenging to be at the edge of life.  There is warmth and joy around these two that is appealing. It is difficult to find oneself in assisted care, no matter how nice or comfortable it is.

It is meaningful to have a good friend, and great to see them out in their garden smiling and laughing.

These chairs and table are one of the best bargains I’ve come across.

A wonderful small act of great kindness.  Maybe one of the best small acts of great kindness, thanks once more to the Army Of Good.

We can’t work miracles, we can’t change the reality or trajectory of people’s lives, but we can make them more comfortable, fill in some of the holes in their lives,  surround them with good people who will care about them, even from thousands of miles away.

I do wonder sometimes if we can do it, why can’t our leaders and institutions do it? The Mansion has always been open to this idea, to this work. Bless them.

Georgiana and Bert have complex lives, there is no paradise for them, but they transcend discouragement and fatigue and fear. They bring fun and openness with them whenever they enter their garden.

We can give them a comfortable place to do it, and respect their dignity and preserve their self-respect. We can make sure they have comfortable shoes and pajamas.

The Secret Garden is not going to reverse or alter the project of aging. But it is a safe place, a haven, a beacon in a sense.

They both thanked me warmly for the table, they said it makes all the difference to have a table between their chairs. This garden, they both said, makes them feel at home. We talked again about smoking, I told them I was not there to tell them how to live, or whether to smoke or not.

I am glad to see Georgina in her new bedroom slippers, I noticed she was walking around outside in socks. At the Mansion, you sometimes have to ask what is needed.

They don’t take life as seriously as some people do, they laugh at themselves. And since neither ever watches the news, reads a paper or looks at a smartphone, they are not constantly reminded about the end of life as we know it or our poisonous partisan politics.

Bert told me that she’s going away for nine days to be with her family. I think they will miss one another. Georgina invited me to come by every now and then to talk with her. I will, I promised Bert I would keep Georgina out of trouble.

Thanks for supporting this week. If you wish to contribute, you can via Paypal, [email protected] or by check, Jon Katz, Mansion/Refugee Fund, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.