About an old woman

This week me and Tanya have been doing her research work on homeless people. We use a survey form to ask questions from the people visiting the shelter. I sort of just sit there and follow, since they probably wouldn't understand any of my Russian. It's really interesting to listen to the stories of these people. I usually understand the general idea of what they're talking about. This people are all amazing in their own way. I wish I could photograph them but I haven't even dared to ask.

Today is the first day we got to interview some homeless women. I'd like to tell you about one particular бабушка (babushka, grandmother). This old woman came into the office where we do the questionnaires. She was walking difficultly and had a limp. She looked like she used to be a lot taller, she had collapsed from the spine the way old people do. Here face was really old, she had huge bags under her eyes. Her face was wrinkled, especially around the mouth (smoker's wrinkles). Half of her teeth were missing and the one's she still had were grey. I've worked with old people in Finland and to me she seemed to be at least 75–80 years old. She told us she lived on a small pension and had lost her home when her husband had died. Her husband had hit her regularly. Like most of the homeless we've talked with, she seemed to have accepted her share in life and was at peace with it.

What shocked me the most?
This бабушка was 54.