Growing Pains
Berry Dilley is a 92-year-old Athens, Ohio resident. Berry is incredibly full of life, growth, and wisdom. Berry said once, "Just because someone is old, that doesn't mean they are wise.” Berry contradicts her own statement with the knowledge she holds that has come with aging and her experiences.
Currently, Berry is in the process of selling her home of 50 years and moving into a house that is more accessible to her. In the home Berry is selling, she would have to climb up and down the stairs, and it is not sustainable for her at this point to continue doing. Berry spoke quite a bit about her age and the grief she has endured, she is viewing moving as a "fresh start at 90," Berry called it. When speaking to Berry about her age she spoke about how she views age as something that is not strictly biological. Often, Berry feels much younger than she is and when she sees photos of herself now, she cannot seem to recognize or place herself as the "old woman" in the photos. In 2008, Berry's husband, who she had bought the house in the 1970s, passed away, he passed in the house she is selling. Her husband's passing came right after her mother and sister, who both passed in the house as well between 2005 and 2008. As Berry began the process of searching for a new home, she became a bit hesitant at the thought of leaving the home for much of her life, this felt it was a way of abandoning the grief she had carried with her for many years. Though at 90 years old, Berry has taken on this experience with curiosity and an excitement for who she will be in this new space, with a childlike wonder about the creativity and play that come with making a new home for oneself. This is a visual exploration into Berry's transformation and way of life and movement at an important moment in her life.