Mortality hit me this week. The day before Valentine's, the uncle of my two oldest kids,(techically my stepkids) died of a massive heart attack. Unexpected, it was. He was 53. My age. His birthday was in June. Mine is in September.
I mean, I know of people my age who have died. But they have been sick with cancer or something, so it was not unexpected. But Tony's death was unexpected. I guess what shocked me more was he died three weeks after his dad died. His dad, Reid, had been sick for awhile, but no one knew what was wrong until just after Christmas. He had ASL or Lou Gehrig's disease. He died within a week of the diagnosis.
So I'm feeling like my number could come up. It will, but not for a few more decades. I've got the "I will live until I'm 90" genes, unless something awful happens, like cancer. My daughters have asked their dad not to croak before I do. They say they don't want to deal with a crazy, old woman, but would rather deal with a funny, old man.
Anyway, I was feeling old before these two men died. I was writing the birthdays and ages of my children and grandchildren in the 2012 calendar that hangs on my wall. I cried when I realized my oldest grandson will be 18 this year and graduate from high school in 2013. My youngest grandson will be 2 this October. My oldest child, (OK, don't get technical on me. I raised him), will be 39 and my youngest child (this one I gave birth to) will be 25. Rod will be two years away from 60.
Rod laughed at me when he came in the house that Saturday and found me in tears. I said my grandchildren will be all grown and gone before too long. He said, not for another 10 years or so, and even then great-grandchildren may join us for the monthly sleepovers.
Technically, we are young compared to our ancestors. Rod's relatives have all managed to live well past 90 and some past 100. And most have continued doing the things they love to do, like farming, construction, sewing, reading, traveling and hosting parties for their grandchildren.
So here's to the future. :)
