Category: aging
-
My Post-Surgery Misadventure
A favorite restaurant is located three blocks from my house. I walked out my front door early on a pristine autumn morning, not a cloud in the sky, the sun shining, warming the night-chilled landscape. I walked slowly, unsure how my body would react six days after surgery. The past few days had been spent…
-
Little Girl’s Bicycle or Old Lady’s Bike?
Years ago my son assembled a bicycle for me, a sleek golden model with thin tires, 15 speeds, hand brakes, and a top tube across the frame – the sign of a boy’s bike. I enjoyed the ride and relished the sensation on my face as I leaned forward against the wind and struggled to…
-
I Am a World-class Procrastinator
I have learned many skills over the years, a lot useful, others not so much, and many forgotten. For instance my ability to solve math equations and speak a foreign language disappeared. Those particular brain cells are dormant, and resurrecting them a chore more difficult than I wish to tackle. One skill often used and…
-
Musings on Other People Moving
My neighbor is moving. She knocked on our door one day, came in for a few minutes of small talk and said, “I want you to know before I do anything. I’m selling my house.” We knew this day would come. Her brother moved to a town 50 miles away, and she often drives to…
-
Musings on Becoming Irrelevant
My Florida family rented a home in my resort community for two weeks. Teenagers now, the grandkids’ are immersed in their generational lifestyle. Friends rule. Family time is enjoyed until teen goings-on beckon. Their parents’ lifestyle is not a lot different than their kids. With friends who live in the Northeast, a shore vacation offers…
-
This Week I Aged Another Year
A day dawned this week when I officially became a year older. At my age it is not a big event to close the chapter on one year and begin a new one, especially when the new year does not mark a milestone. A number ending in a 0 or 5 designates a benchmark year,…
-
Retired Once Again and Pondering a Universal Question
I have retired. Again. Not from paid employment, but from a part-time volunteer job. A couple of years before Covid our town sponsored a Farmers Market. Less than 20 vendors signed up and braved the unknown retail environment. This summer over 60 vendors fill a church parking lot every Friday morning. A waiting list of…
-
Time and Energy – Priceless
There are only so many hours in a day. A cliché, I know, but a truism that becomes truer as the years fly by, at least for me. As I age and the years tick off one by one, it seems I have less time to do anything. I realize nothing changes, but my body…
-
Spring Arrives and I am Ready!
The weather around my slice of the world has been erratic recently. One day cold and windy, a couple of torrential rain days, teaser days of sunny, warmish temperatures. Outside the cozy confines of my home, my gray yard starts to come to life. Yellow daffodils swing in the wind and green shoots sprout from…
-
Moving Mom Déjà vu
Fourteen years ago Mom moved from the home she lived in for 50 years to a condo in a 55+ apartment house. She adjusted well. Her friends and activities were within an easy driving distance, and my sister and I felt comfortable with her in a secure environment. Two years ago Mom reluctantly gave up…