happy birthday, gram!
My grandmother turned 98 today. I have long said that she's my role model for aging well: she continued to play piano daily until a couple of years ago; she still lives in her house; she still does a lot of her own gardening.
Lately, though, she's been going a little downhill mentally - she doesn't remember what we talked about just a couple of minutes ago, and she frequently misplaces things or forgets people's names. She depends a lot on my dad and stepmother to take her places and make sure that the food in the fridge isn't spoiled.
It's a little sad to think that in many ways she's not the same Gram that I remember from my childhood. Oh, she's still smart and funny and game, but a lot of that is obscured by the day-to-day (or minute-to-minute) challenges of knowing what's going on.
Still, when I called her today, she seemed happy, surrounded by family members. That's what I really want from the aging process: to still be happy and healthy and surrounded by family and friends who care about me, even when I'm 98 and a little out of it.
Lately, though, she's been going a little downhill mentally - she doesn't remember what we talked about just a couple of minutes ago, and she frequently misplaces things or forgets people's names. She depends a lot on my dad and stepmother to take her places and make sure that the food in the fridge isn't spoiled.
It's a little sad to think that in many ways she's not the same Gram that I remember from my childhood. Oh, she's still smart and funny and game, but a lot of that is obscured by the day-to-day (or minute-to-minute) challenges of knowing what's going on.
Still, when I called her today, she seemed happy, surrounded by family members. That's what I really want from the aging process: to still be happy and healthy and surrounded by family and friends who care about me, even when I'm 98 and a little out of it.