Lenette and I were blindsided, but why? As I have written, we had yet to think in terms of aging. Whatever we did was as if it would continue, and of course, nothing ever does. Even the Sun is wearing down, as is our world. I’m writing about this more because it intrigues me, as does why we never once thought about being old and unable to be what we were.
So, I asked a few people if they ever thought about aging, and their answers surprised me. Most have said they did, and at an early age. I’m gathering their responses and am sure more essays will result from my inquiries. I’m left to ponder why Lenette and I continued living as if we were fixed in time. Neither of us saw us aging, but we did age, and one day we realized we were old and could not continue to live as we had. Reluctantly, we moved from our beautiful home on the Truckee River to a senior living complex.
Aging is inescapable. Suddenly or slowly, and no matter how one envisions the future, aging is the relentless truth. It is the drumbeat that is with us throughout our life, whether we pay attention to it or not. With Lenette and me, it was silent; with others, was it heard, understood, or prepared for? Maybe that is the lesson.
It will require finances and planning so as not to be a burden to others. They will have their own aging issues. It is the way it is. Life is a series of chapters, and each chapter is its own and not what it was, even if one lives solely in the present as we thought we did. The hourglass is the perfect example, as we will run out of sand one day. To understand this and include this in our living our daily lives, I now know as wisdom.
Sy
