Seventy-five and Forward

With Dean’s birthday and mine coming up soon, I have been reflecting on 75. Seventy-five is a rather impressive age. Three quarters of a century. An age when in the past people were old and feeble except of course for those who weren’t. Again I look at the books I read, noticing it first in my Agatha Christie’s when I was about 60. Old people, dying people are in their late 50’s or early 60’s. Seventy was out of the question. Today at 75, people are very physically active. The ski slopes opened yesterday and Dean was there. As a generation we hike, we travel, we do yoga, tai chi, play tennis ~ people our age are very active both physically and mentally. Friends who teach are just now retiring and of course my father was still practicing law when he died at the age of 85. 

With age comes wisdom too ~ at least for some of us. It manifests itself in ordinary and also deep ways. We are able to mentor in the ways of the world. Maybe it takes our grandchildren to help us with newer technology, but we are still learners at the same time we teach and offer insights. We still look forward although the aim doesn’t have to be a big event or project. We take classes. We read. And today we are more active politically than we have been because we want our grandchildren to enjoy the diversity and equality we fought so hard to obtain. 

Maybe we go to the doctor more often than we used to but on the whole we are doing well with continuing health and interests and wisdom in the world. We look back to all the stories we can tell and we also look forward to the good times, the fun times, the learning and the teaching as the future unfolds around us. Seventy-five is a good time to be alive.