You know how I know I'm old? I think I might be back to liking Pearl Jam again. And Nirvana's on the ballot for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. And my body aches after every workout like it's been months since the last one. And songs I adored from my youth are being used to advertise high fiber cereal. That's how I know. Knowledge is power. I am a fan of being old, so far. It's a comfortable place to be. I've settled into middle age with unreserved happiness. Not that I get a choice in the matter of aging, so might as well enjoy the ride.
I've been so spoiled all my life having three of my four grandparents into my thirties. My dad's dad died when he was still a kid, so I never got to meet him, but I've been so lucky to grow up close to my two grandmothers and my beloved Pup, who passed away five years ago (I also can't overlook Memere's fiance of decades, who by all means is considered my grandfather). I've been quadruply spoiled, too, to have these two grandmothers being monumentally healthy all my life. I remember my Gram breaking her leg once, and she had a hip replacement. Memere maybe had a small operation in my lifetime, but I don't remember seeing her in a hospital ever. Both ladies have lived independently all this time and have kept active. The way they both keep their houses puts me to shame. They never forget a birthday. And because of these genes, I feel like I have a decent shot at getting long in the tooth, so I had better embrace my potential longevity.
As I write this, Memere's going through a rough spell. She's been in the hospital all week, and doctors aren't sure what's what. She's got a great spirit about everything, and we all know it's amazing that we've been able to take her health for granted all this time, but it doesn't make it any easier to face when things aren't so super. Again, we don't know what's actually going on or what's going to happen. I'm making no guesses or jumping to any conclusions. Just thanking my stars once again that I've had all this time with Memere and it's been a throughly wonderful time. 91 good years is a lot to ask, and it's greedy to ask for more on my part, but here we are.
What I mean to say is, getting old is awesome. Every day you get for free, someone else would have paid a million billion dollars for. Don't put off love and being present in people's lives. Aging is a gift, not a curse. And wrinkles are beautiful. Suck it, beauty industry. Look at these guys. The ones in the back row. I mean, come on. That should be everyone's ideal.
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