Harv has lost his sleek summer hair, and his teddy bear body is back. The winter coat makes his white hair all of the more prominent. I snapped this shot during one of our marathon grazing sessions.
I've been thinking a lot about aging. Harv is old in body, but his eyes are bright and he retains his thoroughbred nervous system. As to the rest of us?
My dad is in failing health physically, and my mom has some dementia. Bob is confronting the limitations of a bad knee, making him cantankerous and frustrated. Me? Well, I feel stiffer when I ride, it's harder to exercise without repercussions, and -- I have a crepey neck. The students I work with at the university look at me, and speak to me with the distance and respect due to an older person. Gads.
Those of you who have not crossed this threshold, prepare yourself. It's quite a line to cross.
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I have crossed the threshold and it is a big one. Still, my brain does not tend to remember the limits of my body, I have been known to overdo. Don't know if that's good or bad. Most of the time, the extra aches and pains are worth it for whatever I accomplished along the way.
ReplyDeleteI'm there; it's hard.
ReplyDeleteMentally, not, but physically I am. Some days I wander around wondering how in the hell I managed to be older than 50.
ReplyDeleteMentally there. What a depressing post, Stacey. Not your fault. It's a thing we all face if we're blessed enough to make it far enough in life.
ReplyDeleteI pray you can feel the sunshine on your shoulder and your spirit lifted a little more this week. <3
Am right there with you. The stiffness is the hardest thing for me right now.
ReplyDeleteI'm there, too. Hard to believe I'm as old as I am (on paper) because I don't FEEL as old as I am, on paper. Scared myself the other day--got a smartphone and accidentally clicked on the "front camera." OMG. Was at the mall the other day and some snotty teenager commented on my appearance that I was "past my prime." I said, "You'll be here some day too, sweetie, and I hope a snotty teenager says the same thing to you." I walked off muttering about the "arrogance of youth." I'm sure she thought I was on a daytrip from the senior home and had lost my group, but it's THOSE moments that make me realize I'm not only over the hill, I'm sliding fast toward the end. My OTTB is 19; he too has "roanie hairs" in his coat, but there's pepper in the pot still, and he keeps me on my toes. We are good for each other. You and Harv, same thing. Best wishes to your parents, Bob and your four-leggeds.
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