A few days ago I climbed yet another rung on the ladder to Social Security, Medicare, and heaven’s pearly gates. It was the ideal birthday: the celebration covered seven days, I don’t feel any older, and my beautiful grandchildren were actively involved in the cake and the singing. If I asked for more, I’d be greedy.
One of the greatest gifts of my life—a gift that improves with every year—is my daughter. Now a mom herself, she is my friend, my therapist, my advisor, my editor, my intellectual sounding board, my cheerleader, and (along with my wonderful son-in-law) provider of those other great gifts, my grandchildren. I look at Rachel and see all of the good in my life, present and past. In her I see glimpses of her father who, after nine years, lives only in my heart and hers.
My daughter also produces a lot of the fun in my life. For this birthday, she took me to Greenville, South Carolina, to visit my ailing uncle and to explore the city. We shared a good meal, a bottle of pino grigio, an outdoor concert by three old southern rockers, and 10 hours of car conversation, something we seldom get now that Lily and Garrett are part of our lives.
One of the things that Rachel inspires me to do is regular exercise. Just before last year’s birthday, I got acquainted with Ladies’ Workout Express: treadmill, stationary bike, weight training circuit, and a lot of other out-of-shape women like me. This year, after a year of exercising three or four times each week, I feel better. I can lift and carry my grandchildren (no small effort) without stumbling. I can wear clothes that are a size smaller, and even better, I can now chuckle at those out-of-shape women and say, “Stick with it! It gets better.”
Sleep is another issue that I faced this year. Apparently, I really DO snore. I also stop breathing quite a few times every hour when I’m asleep, and as a result, I was not getting enough REM sleep. I’ve had my sleep machine ( technically a CPAP—continuous positive airway pressure ) for two weeks, and so far, my naps are decreasing. The best thing so far about the machine is that I didn’t have to program it myself.
Which brings me to the really big issue that I will face for the rest of my life: computer training. To celebrate my birthday this year, I attended a class called “Getting Things Done with Google.” The instructor was great, and while he was standing in front of me talking I did fine. When I got home, I forgot everything he said, except for small bits and pieces. So I spent the rest of my day trying to grasp what little I could remember, and thinking “this hurts so much it HAS to be good for me.” To remain competitive and current, I’ll be taking these classes until I draw my last breath, but that won’t keep me from complaining about them.
I’m living in interesting times. America is changing, and so is its population. I am always curious about what people are thinking, writing, and doing; sometimes I smile at their antics, and sometimes I shake my head. But I continue to ascend that ladder of years with a daily question: what’s next?
Mrs. B
One of the greatest gifts of my life—a gift that improves with every year—is my daughter. Now a mom herself, she is my friend, my therapist, my advisor, my editor, my intellectual sounding board, my cheerleader, and (along with my wonderful son-in-law) provider of those other great gifts, my grandchildren. I look at Rachel and see all of the good in my life, present and past. In her I see glimpses of her father who, after nine years, lives only in my heart and hers.
My daughter also produces a lot of the fun in my life. For this birthday, she took me to Greenville, South Carolina, to visit my ailing uncle and to explore the city. We shared a good meal, a bottle of pino grigio, an outdoor concert by three old southern rockers, and 10 hours of car conversation, something we seldom get now that Lily and Garrett are part of our lives.
One of the things that Rachel inspires me to do is regular exercise. Just before last year’s birthday, I got acquainted with Ladies’ Workout Express: treadmill, stationary bike, weight training circuit, and a lot of other out-of-shape women like me. This year, after a year of exercising three or four times each week, I feel better. I can lift and carry my grandchildren (no small effort) without stumbling. I can wear clothes that are a size smaller, and even better, I can now chuckle at those out-of-shape women and say, “Stick with it! It gets better.”
Sleep is another issue that I faced this year. Apparently, I really DO snore. I also stop breathing quite a few times every hour when I’m asleep, and as a result, I was not getting enough REM sleep. I’ve had my sleep machine ( technically a CPAP—continuous positive airway pressure ) for two weeks, and so far, my naps are decreasing. The best thing so far about the machine is that I didn’t have to program it myself.
Which brings me to the really big issue that I will face for the rest of my life: computer training. To celebrate my birthday this year, I attended a class called “Getting Things Done with Google.” The instructor was great, and while he was standing in front of me talking I did fine. When I got home, I forgot everything he said, except for small bits and pieces. So I spent the rest of my day trying to grasp what little I could remember, and thinking “this hurts so much it HAS to be good for me.” To remain competitive and current, I’ll be taking these classes until I draw my last breath, but that won’t keep me from complaining about them.
I’m living in interesting times. America is changing, and so is its population. I am always curious about what people are thinking, writing, and doing; sometimes I smile at their antics, and sometimes I shake my head. But I continue to ascend that ladder of years with a daily question: what’s next?
Mrs. B
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