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Everyone Ages: Don’t Get Old Before Your Time
I’ve been watching as my parents' age. Next month they’ll be 85 and 86 years old, both having August birthdays. They’ve maintained, and even fought for, as much independence as they can tolerate. This includes still living in their own home, a large rambling ranch with a finished basement, grocery shopping in person two to three times a week, and occasionally going out to dinner. They don’t travel anymore, nor do they feel the need to do so. My father finally contracted to have their 2-acre lawn cut and trimmed and their driveway plowed in the winter. He realized he cannot do it anymore. That is all okay.
They limit trips to their “basement” where things are stored in totes and another whole floor of finished rooms and filled closets await. Those trips are made only by my dad, as my mom cannot take the stairs anymore. She depends on a rolling walker and cane if she’s going any distance. Lifting a foot causes imbalance and hence the stairs are a danger and tiring.
Despite still owning two cars, my dad is the only driver. My mom never liked to drive and once she retired (at 55) she rarely drove. My dad drove them everywhere they needed to go and she rode along. Rarely, not even occasionally, she’d meet a cousin or friend out for lunch. In that case, she drove. We think it’s been well over seven years since she last drove. She now has memory…
