Birthday cards warm Rocky Mount woman's heart on 101st birthday

What she does -- every Sunday -- is put pen to paper and writes "Dear Lisa."

Frail hands have made the cursive quiver, yet the writing flows.

"She loves getting mail," said grand daughter Lisa Marie Carter, who lives in Anderson, South Carolina and loves getting a weekly letter from her grandmother.

She saves every single one. "I love her so much," Carter said. "I tear up just thinking about her. She really is my heart."

She is Potoczny's only granddaughter.

Miss Elsie, as folks call her, lives at the Brekenridge Retirement Center in Rocky Mount.

Here's her letter from March 28, as the coronavirus-related closures began.

"No family, visitors or entertainment. Our place is all closed down."

It still would be for her 101st birthday on October 23.

Lisa put out a request on Facebook asking for at least 101 cards for her grandmother's 101st birthday.

Needless to say, that goal was met.

The cards came from places like Minnesota, Arizona and Oregon: Boxes of hand-drawn cards from schoolchildren in South Carolina.

There have been 125 cards -- and counting.

"It just made her day," Carter said. "She loves getting mail."

Still, grandmother and granddaughter had not seen each other in person since last Thanksgiving, and it's a six-hour drive for Lisa Marie.

But she made the drive, Lisa Marie and her mother, who lives in Youngsville, were allowed a 30-minute visit outside the room.

They joined the staff in singing happy birthday.

Miss Elsie had cake and flowers... if only she could have a hug.

Somewhere, pen and paper await, for the next "Love You" to be signed and sealed.

And sent.