How old do you feel?

I'm not going to tell you how old I am, but let's just say I'm middle aged. That way you can guess as to my exact age. Most of the time I feel pretty young. Like I'm in my twenties. I'm still very active. I play tennis and walk between three and four miles most days. I do strength training and generally try to stay in good shape. But every time I look in the mirror I'm reminded that I'm not as young as I used to be. The gray hairs, the wrinkles and that extra weight around the middle all testify to the aging process. Every year those extra pounds I always put on over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays get harder and harder to lose. Some of them just like to hang around for the next Christmas. Maybe the best way not to feel old is to avoid mirrors. But even when I avoid mirrors, there are those mornings when I get up and I'm stiff. The joints and muscles ache. Then I wonder if I feel like this now, how am I going to feel ten years from now? Twenty years from now? That's the way I felt this morning when I got up. Stiff and sore. Maybe from the tennis match I played yesterday? Could be, but I've played tennis other days and didn't feel stiff. Maybe I can blame it on the weather. Our air is filled with pollen.

As I contemplated the reasons for feeling stiff this morning, I had to get ready for an appointment. I had an interview with the administrator of a local assisted living facility in order to get information for the book that I'm currently writing. The tour also made me think about the aging process. What does the future hold? I wondered whether I might eventually have to live in such a facility. Like most people I hope I can remain in my own home and take care of myself throughout my old age. I hope I can be like my tennis teammate who is in her seventies and still plays a wicked game of tennis and puts some of us younger ones to shame. I don't know what the future holds, but I've decided not to worry although you all ought to take Bridget's advice from her blog a couple of days ago and get your will in order, no matter what your age. So I'm going to make the best of everyday even when I feel a little stiff.

With that in mind, I'm on my way to the beach for my daily walk.
Merrillee, who can already feel the sand between her toes

posted by Merrillee @ 1:14 PM