AGING AND LOSS

 

As we age, we deal with our aging and health issues and watch as our friends and family have the same experiences.  Our memory isn’t like it was when we were younger. With each lost word or memory, we fear it’s the beginning of dementia or Alzheimer’s.  Many of us have artificial parts implanted: knees, hips, shoulders, or stents, all of which slow us down.  Recovery from illnesses or surgeries takes longer than it did even a decade ago.  It isn’t easy to accept that nothing will be like it was when we were young.

 

The worst part of aging is the frequency of losing friends and family.  One of my friends died last month after a short illness.  She wished to die and refused to eat or drink shortly after they removed a tumor from her brain. Fortunately, I told her I loved her and heard her echoing the same sentiment before she started slipping away. I’ll cherish our last moments together forever.

 

My next-door neighbor died after bravely battling cancer for many years. I use the word “bravely” because she desperately wanted to live despite intense pain from tumors in her back and various body parts. I watched as she wasted away the past year. Yet, she never once complained and continued walking her dog in the afternoon until a month ago.  She finally told the loved ones gathered around her bed that she was tired and wanted to go.  Her faithful friends, sisters, and beloved dog were with her until her last breath. 

 

I might be moving slower, but I’m still upright and walking.  Recently, I noticed a neighbor in his late 80s carefully pushing a walker as he strolled along the sidewalk for daily exercise. It's thrilling that he's still with us after recently experiencing Covid twice. What do I have to complain about?

 

We learn to laugh when we forget a word and chalk it off to getting old; we know it's a shared experience of our contemporaries.

 

Sometimes, we look in the mirror and wonder what happened to our one-time youthful faces. We are amazed at how much our longtime friends have aged, knowing they probably think the same of us. 

 

Life goes on…and after the sadness of loss dissipates, you realize you’re fortunate to still have friends and family to love.  You appreciate the sunrises because it represents a fresh start and hope for a better day.  You appreciate the sunsets because you lived and loved another day.  You cherish the time with loved ones because you don’t know how long to enjoy them.  

 

And you fully grasp the meaning of carpe diem.



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