// There but for the grace of God…//

I feel like I spend a lot  of time in this blog whining. Yesterday I was bitching about the effects of old man time on my health and family relationships, as if I were the only person on earth dealing with that shit.

Well, today I get a good reality check as I prepare to take my 86yo Aunt on an outing from her assisted living home. The ravages of time have left this poor woman unable to remember the words she needs to express her thoughts, so she spends her life in a constant state of frustration – still able to think, but unable to communicate her thoughts. She’s also confounded by everyday tasks like working the door lock or operating the microwave, hence the assisted living facility.

Through no fault of her own (she certainly has never been drunk a day in her life), all of the independence in her life has been taken away from her, and she’s left lonely and anxious, living with strangers that she’ll never come to know. 

She may remember me today, she may not. But I’ll say a silent prayer of thanks to her for reminding me to be grateful for what I have rather than obsessively focusing on what seems to be missing in my life. 

Enjoy the people in your life today. Cheers!