Brittany Wilmes on the examined family

[Brittany Wilmes]

Gorgeous. And it sends us off with such a difficult and worthy directive:

and try not to let any of it

tragic or tender

feel inevitable.

[Anita]

I'VE NEVER BEEN THIS OLD BEFORE

5/21

I’ve never been this old before, so it’s no surprise that I don’t know the score of the song that I want to be singing.

I’ve never thought about being this age without also thinking I’d be a sage who knew what the score was.

There’s more to being 88 than being old and feeling fate;

I feel a sense of dislocation in this situation.

I've never been this old before.

I don’t know what I expected, but something was neglected: wisdom or patience or a way to be gracious with the reality of aging mind and body

I wish I had the equanimity to see farther into infinity to know what the divinity has in store for me.

I’ve never been this old before, though I’ve had fantasies galore about how image and aging are entwined;

The reality is different and I can’t be indifferent to the changes in my body and mind.

And I do mind when I can’t find

A slick way through the daily grind;

Or depend on my recall

Of some things, but not all;

I've never felt this old before!

[Courtney Martin]

Yay! I'm so glad you shared it with everyone.