Wandering Along the Path: Right Speech

I visited an elderly friend yesterday and took her out for a walk in a nearby rose garden. She is in a care center, after a heart attack and bad fall. Nevertheless, she is sharp as a tack and manuevered herself well in and out of the car and with the walker when we arrived at the park. We wandered around and tried to smell the various roses, but most we tried, after taking off our masks, were not scented. It was a warm, beautiful day, and she wanted to go for ice cream, but it was a Saturday, and the place was packed. Then she suggested a tea place, but the ones I knew of are closed, due to the pandemic, so we returned to her facility and she showed me around the public rooms and then up to her room, which was nice. We sat there and talked for an hour. I told her I have not eaten inside since the covid, and didn't really know anymore where to go and what had outside seating. I'm not sure if she has. Her situation is nice, and the people are friendly, but there is no outside space anywhere, and no balconies, so fresh air is a problem. The building is around big box stores, without any parks or public spaces close enough to walk to, and therefore it seems to me claustrophobic and sterile. She is dependent on family or friends to take her out, and most of the group activities organized inside she says are poorly attended or don't happen. She seems comforted by the safety of the place. But she's used to going out a lot and seeing art, music and other things. I felt a bit sad last night. She is 93, so she is probably not going home again. But maybe the change I'm witnessing is harder for me than her. Safety first at that age.