72

Today is my 72nd birthday and I have to admit that I never thought about being this age when I was young.  If the thought passed my mind at all it would have been that the antiquity of being 72 years old was so far in the future it wasn't worth even thinking about.  Well, the future has arrived and it's not so bad.


72 years has passed quickly and slowly.  It all depends on which part I think about.  Something that I would never want to give up is the knowledge I've gained over the years but I wouldn't mind trading in this old body for a young one.  Sometimes we seniors look in the mirror and are shocked by the changes but we calm ourselves by saying that the body has been through the wars of life and we shouldn't expect the ravages not to show.


I remember how strange it felt to bypass my mother's age of death (64) and now I've reached my grandmother's age of death (72).  It's hard to imagine myself near death because my mind is still vibrant but maybe that doesn't matter.  For years I've been living the moment because we never know when that moment will be our last and I'm not about to change that attitude.


To all appearances I have built a good life for myself.  I have loving family and friends and that is really the best that we can hope for.  Everything else is gravy and I have a bit of that, too.  When I had depression I couldn't appreciate what I had but the depression is long gone and my mind is clear to the advantages I have in my life.  I still thank Dennis every day for taking care of my old age.  He worked hard all of his relatively short life and wasn't able to enjoy retirement long enough.  


Birthdays haven't mattered much to me for quite a while now.  It's just nice to be able to wake up in the morning feeling pretty good and knowing my day will be a pleasant one.  Today is my birthday and I'll spend some time with family I love.  Nice!