Lurking at the Aging Crossroads

Over the past month, I’ve heard more stories about friends, colleagues and acquaintances being diagnosed with some form on Stage 3 or Stage 4 cancer. I was starting to think I’m in the “cancer years.”

Then I heard that a dear friend’s sister-in-law had a stroke at the age of 43. So it’s not just cancer. This news churns my stomach. I thought strokes were just something that threatened you in your 70s – the reality that strokes can happen at any age and rob you of your mind in what I consider to be (so far) my favorite decade, frightens me.

My hope is that this is just a phase.  When the gates close on my 40s, things level off. That doesn’t sound reasonable on paper – but I’m still hoping it to be true.

I’ve been lucky. My parents are both in their 80s and all of my siblings, their spouses and children are still on this planet. We’ve had brushes with cancer but in general, we are all mobile and healthy.

I’ve been so focused on how not to become my parents, I lost track of all the other things that can creep into our lives and steal us away too early. Reminded.

2 thoughts on “Lurking at the Aging Crossroads

  1. very good words and we do need to remember. i lost my mother at 62, a very young age of an annurism. she was here yesterday and gone today.

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