Sometimes, a little act of kindness goes further than you’d think.
It certainly meant the world to 91-year-old Marie Olaussen when drivers on Yarra Junction’s busy Warburton Highway stopped to let her cross on her mobility scooter.
Ms Olaussen wanted to express her gratitude to those courteous drivers to make sure they’re recognised for their goodwill.
“They deserve a lot of thanks for it. I’d like them to be recognised that they’re not being taken for granted. We really appreciate their goodwill,” Ms Olaussen said.
Unable to drive because of a stroke she suffered last year, Ms Olaussen now uses a mobility scooter to cross the Warburton Highway to play cards at the Upper Yarra Family Centre.
“They told me not to drive the car again because there was a possibility of another stroke, and I was a bit anxious about it, because there’s nowhere where we could go from my side of the street across to the other side,” Ms Olauseen said.
Thanks to the kind drivers, the retired psychiatric nurse was able to stay independent and sharp.
“It’s necessary for me at this stage to continue to go and play cards. It’s a big thing, it keeps me mentally alert,” she said.
“If people are stuck at home, they become depressed and sometimes a bit imaginative. So it’s very bad for us to remain isolated, and not be able to care for ourselves.”
The small exchanges with strangers on the street also meant a lot to Ms Olaussen.
Once, a passerby joked about her mobility scooter and asked Ms Olaussen what the name of her “mean machine” was.
“That’s my Maserati,” she quipped.
Little moments like these showed Ms Olaussen possessed a youthful soul, full of jokes and funny comments.
Even when she suffered from a stroke last year, she still found a way to make light of the situation when the hospital staff were shocked with her recovery.
“I said the good Lord didn’t want me, and neither did the devil, so you’re stuck with me,” she said to the hospital staff.
If Ms Olaussen’s mind is as quick-witted as her humour, then she’s certainly doing well for her age.
She also highlighted how the goodwill of drivers on the Warburton Highway was appreciated by those physically impaired by a disability
“That’s not all people like me, there’s young people that have problems too,” she said.
Ultimately, she was glad that the population of Yarra Junction were kind enough to let her cross the road.
“That was very reassuring for me,” she said.
These simple acts of kindness ensure Ms Olaussen can continue living her best life – a life of socialising, playing cards and zipping around in her mini Maserati.
