NOTES FROM THE 8TH DECADE #4

THE PAST IS ALWAYS WITH US, AND THE FUTURE IS NOT FAR BEHIND

 8-09

Good grief! Who knew that turning 70 would provide so many issues to deal with (and write about). I will be lucky if I can get all the emotional and psychological stuff cleared away before I reach 80.

Maybe when I’m 80, 70-year old women will be more appealing.

I have 9 months left in which to milk this 70th birthday. No one gives a shit about 71!

I’m 70 years old and rarely does a day go by that I don’t think about my mother and father. Oh how I would love to go back into time and reclaim those years that I took for granted. With the wisdom of the retrospectoscope I realize how precious and special they were. But of course that is what the years bring to us, the wisdom to appreciate that which is has past: family, friends, community, and perhaps greatest of all, freedom from responsibility. My childhood was wonderful and glorious because my parents carried the burden of responsibilities for me, for themselves, my grandfather, and the farm. I realize now, that for them, those years were tough and trying, and that they protected me from their struggles.             

I cannot help but feel some f guilt for not realizing this sooner, but mostly I feel gratitude, gratitude to them for being the parents that they were and giving to me all that they did.  I imagine they knew that my turn to shoulder responsibility would come soon enough.