I had graduated high school before you were born. Now I have so many more years behind me than ahead of me, and I wish I could have a do-over on all of them with the knowledge I have now, that time accelerates as you age, and our bodies - our lives - can decay not only slowly, but suddenly and irrevocably. At 52 I could still run 5 miles…
I had graduated high school before you were born. Now I have so many more years behind me than ahead of me, and I wish I could have a do-over on all of them with the knowledge I have now, that time accelerates as you age, and our bodies - our lives - can decay not only slowly, but suddenly and irrevocably. At 52 I could still run 5 miles, play 18 holes of golf, gather with all of my children for a holiday. In the blink of an eye, 10 years later all of that was gone. Two of my three children died, suddenly, unexpectedly, at 21 and 31, before their lives had really even begun.
Now I do not feel sorry much for anyone that makes it past the age of 50 (although I do feel very sorry for their families and friends). My health did deteriorate, but it was more like falling off a cliff, a rapid and seemingly irrevocable deterioration, to the point of spending the last 5 retirement years housebound. So I, too, share your disdain for birthdays (any gift only represents something I will have to get rid of, with no one to even pass it on to).
But I get to enjoy your writing here! And that is a pleasure indeed, thank you. Now savor every bite of that cake - perfect choice, btw - and who cares if you wash the sweatpants, a few times a year is perfectly fine. Time is short, who says we even get tomorrow? Priorities!
I had graduated high school before you were born. Now I have so many more years behind me than ahead of me, and I wish I could have a do-over on all of them with the knowledge I have now, that time accelerates as you age, and our bodies - our lives - can decay not only slowly, but suddenly and irrevocably. At 52 I could still run 5 miles, play 18 holes of golf, gather with all of my children for a holiday. In the blink of an eye, 10 years later all of that was gone. Two of my three children died, suddenly, unexpectedly, at 21 and 31, before their lives had really even begun.
Now I do not feel sorry much for anyone that makes it past the age of 50 (although I do feel very sorry for their families and friends). My health did deteriorate, but it was more like falling off a cliff, a rapid and seemingly irrevocable deterioration, to the point of spending the last 5 retirement years housebound. So I, too, share your disdain for birthdays (any gift only represents something I will have to get rid of, with no one to even pass it on to).
But I get to enjoy your writing here! And that is a pleasure indeed, thank you. Now savor every bite of that cake - perfect choice, btw - and who cares if you wash the sweatpants, a few times a year is perfectly fine. Time is short, who says we even get tomorrow? Priorities!