I keep trying to avoid the inevitable reflection in the mirror but it is to persistent! It is aided by the annual reminder of my birth and those of the ones I love. Just yesterday was my wife's birthday. I don't think she realizes that every year she gets older - I get older! Then there are grand kids. Constantly calling to show love and respect, who does that? We have no great grandchildren as yet but we do have a "grand cat" named *Cruz. (go figure)
Coming up this month is my 65th anniversary of my high school graduation! (when I was in high school I thought 65 was O L D!!! (funny, I can remember the taking of our graduation picture but I can't remember the graduation itself) The picture was one of those panoramic ones where you could get your face in at the beginning of the shot and if you ran fast enough, you could be in at the end. We were so many that we filled a third of the auditorium with grads and now we can have our reunion in the dining room of the local country club.
My mom died when she was 83, my dad, when he was 61. Both, heavy smokers. My family members don't seem to have a particular "event horizon" when it comes to time of death, some die early, some seem to go on forever. So, what does growing old really mean? I think it is more what you want to be about. Hobbies, travel, education, relationships.... these things have nothing to do with years. I thing for me it is more about joint pain, grey hair, gain/loss of weight and having to wear glasses to read. I guess it is, what it is. My best advice is: get going living! What happens tomrrow depends greatly on what you plan for. My favorite saying that I always gave to my students was: "A Goal Without A Plan Is Just A Wish".
* Cruz (the GrandCat)
