“Today is the oldest you’ve ever been,
And the youngest you’ll ever be again.”

Eleanor Roosevelt

So true Eleanor, so very true. Aging is not to be feared, it is the prize we get for living. That sometimes we must accept a feeble, failing body is also true but what is the alternative? We must remember to keep things in perspective.

Does it make you sad to look at your children’s places at the table and know that they will not be there every night as they have been since what seems like forever? I would like to believe that that place will always be there for them if they so choose but that they will find new exciting places to dine and will come back now and then to share with us all of their adventures. And we can in turn find new places to share our own meals, the two of us, without a gaggle of people behind us and a tremendous bill at the end.
We started out as two and stopped along the way to foster the lives of the others we brought to the world, now we will continue our journey together and enjoy the growth of our family without the heavy responsibility it brings. We will mingle in their lives and take joy in the delights that they discover. Aging is a privilege. We can shed some responsibilities, perhaps lean when it is necessary, and continue to grow our minds if possible.