My journal entries are my
attempt to express in writing my experiences, feelings and
thoughts as I journey through my life.
I
hope you find these pieces interesting, reassuring, and valuable
as you explore your own path.
I
also invite you to SUBMIT your
creations to share with our caregivers.
You
can email me at consort@pathwaynet.com
Anne
Wakenhut
04/19/01
I’ve
been comfortably walking on my feet for over 55 years, and on
Tuesday they hurt.
On
Wednesday I was really tired, not just “needing a
nap” tired, I mean dead tired ... like I might never
get up again.
On
Thursday, an acquaintance died suddenly, and when I found out
she was 70, I thought, “Well,
now that’s really old”, remembering how I used to think 50
was “really old”.
On
Friday I got my hair cut, and the clippings were almost white,
like my grandmother’s hair.
Gray is bad enough, but white is for really old
ladies.
On
Saturday the man who manages the grocery store reminded me I had
been his nursery school teacher.
On
Sunday I chose flats instead of heels for church because they
were comfortable, forget style!
On
Monday, I saw my new dentist (my old one had died) for the first
time. He used to date my daughter, and
I swore he would never get his hands in my mouth, as he
was the town terror who assisted my daughter’s adolescent
rebellion numerous times. He was highly professional in his
deportment and treated me with great respect (as though I were
an elderly patient).
| The
most telling sign of this sudden aging is my long gazing
out the window at the sun reflecting off the tree
leaves, the pleasure gained from smelling the soup
bubbling on the stove, the time spent gently planting my
flower garden, and the curiosity which leads me to
search our bird book for the name of an unusual bird at
our feeder. |
These
seemingly senseless activities remind me of my great aunt and uncle,
whom I visited while I was young (in my 20’s).
I admired their quiet wonder at their simple world and
their soft wisdom about life.
I only wish I could ask them when they realized they had
gotten old and how they did it so gracefully.
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