Elena Morrison gets to experience one of life鈥檚 finest pleasures in one of its simplest forms: reading a good book with your best friend.
But Morrison鈥檚 bestie is not quite what you would expect for the average millennial.
Morrison, 25, met her best friend when she answered a calling to do something fulfilling.
鈥淚n my generation I hear people saying, 'Oh, I want to read to seniors' or 'I want to do something' or 'I want to volunteer,' but they never do it," Morrison said. "So I just did it. I thought one day, 'What if I just did it?' I called this place, The Bluffs of Flagstaff Senior Living, and said, 'Hey, I鈥檇 like to read to residents,' and they said sure."
She added: "You can talk all day about wanting to do things for other people, to volunteer or find fulfillment, or you can just go do it, so I just did it and here I am. There was a friend waiting for me in the lobby."
That friend was Wally Hall, a 99-year-old retired teacher who was a voracious reader but had to stop reading because of failing eyesight.
鈥淚 had a problem with macular degeneration," Wally said. "I like to read, but with that macular degeneration, I could no longer read. One day this sweet lady came in and said, 'I would like to find a person who would enjoy having me read to them.' It so happened that I was right there, and they said, 'We know someone,' and this sweet lady came to read to me.鈥�
鈥淲henever I first see Wally, I ask him, 'How are you today?' and he says, 'I鈥檓 excellent today.' I鈥檝e never heard him complain, ever," Morrison said. "No matter the circumstance, he鈥檚 never complaining. He just approaches life with such positivity, and I think more people need to be like Wally.鈥�
Twice a week Morrison takes a break from her job as a barista at Lund Canyon coffee to go to The Bluffs. When she gets there, she and Wally find a quiet corner by a window in the dining room to pick up where they left off in their book.
鈥淚 am an author. I鈥檝e always loved reading, and I love the way that you can escape through a story either by reading or writing one," Morrison said while sitting with Wally by a large picture window. "I love reading to Wally, as it's one of the greatest joys in life, and I hope that if ever I had a hard time reading someone could continue reading to me so I could still enjoy it. I鈥檓 really grateful that I鈥檝e been able to provide Wally that opportunity.鈥�
When asked if she thinks one day she will be able to read Wally one of her books, Morrison replied, 鈥淚 sure hope so. I鈥檓 going to publish a book of poetry this year and I鈥檝e written a poem about Wally, so I really hope he will like that one.鈥�
Wally
鈥淚 have a friend named Wally, He鈥檚 as young as 99
And I promise you鈥檇 never know it so
Since he always insists that everything is dandy and fine,
He says every day is a great day and he doesn鈥檛 mind the rain,
If you鈥檙e lucky enough to talk to Wally you鈥檒l never hear him complain,
A friend to all he meets, there鈥檚 no one quite like Wally,
He loves his family and his friends, and especially his dog named Molly,
To know him is to love him, a lucky friend to have,
Anyone who meets Wally will cherish him and never look back,
I have a friend named Wally and I鈥檓 sure glad that I do,
He reminds me to smile and be hopeful, and he is a friend who is true.鈥�
For Kimberly Gutierrez, community outreach director at The Bluffs, watching this friendship blossom has been rewarding.
鈥淭his is just the perfect example of what an honor and privilege it is to serve this community of people. We get to cultivate amazing relationships -- like Wally and Elena -- and just remind our residents that living doesn鈥檛 stop here. There is a greater community,鈥� Gutierrez said. 鈥淭his isn鈥檛 a facility; this is a community that they come to, and it鈥檚 a great honor to bring people like Elena in and continue their spirit and make them feel happy and alive to be a part of the Flagstaff community.鈥�
Gutierrez said Morrison鈥檚 volunteer work at The Bluffs doesn鈥檛 just have an impact on Wally, it has a big effect on the staff, too.
鈥淲e have tens of volunteers, but what is unusual is the relationship that Wally and Elena have. We were just talking about it with our activities director that it was almost meant to be," Gutierrez said. "Wally had brought up that he wanted someone to read to him and our activities director, Connie [Sutton], was trying to look for someone and that week Elena called and said, 'Hey, I want to read to someone.' And to see their friendship blossom to what it is now is incredible. I was tearing up during the interview because it was truly meant to be, and it鈥檚 just awesome that we got to put them together and see their relationship blossom.鈥�
Wally called Morrison an "angel" and said the timing was perfect -- he was looking for someone to read to him and she was looking for that opportunity.
鈥淚 have never had a more wonderful friend in my life that comes and reads to me twice a week. It means everything to me, because having her friendship is so important in my life right now. As long as I have her, I have everything,鈥� Wally said.
Listening to her friend, Morrison also reflected on their time together.
鈥淚t means everything to me also. I agree that we鈥檝e formed a very special friendship, and I鈥檝e learned a lot from Wally about perspective and positivity," she said. "I think Wally is probably the most positive and optimistic person I know, and that has really improved my life a lot and changes how I think about life and friendship and what really matters.鈥�
On June 13, Wally will celebrate his 100th birthday with his best friend at a party at The Bluffs.
鈥淭here will be cake," he said with a big smile.
鈥淎nd candy,鈥� Morrison added. 鈥淲ally loves chocolate, so there will be 100 chocolates.鈥�