Aging Not So Gracefully

Over the last few weeks, I have become much more aware that I'm getting older. Do you ever notice different things about yourself, whether it's physical or emotional, that make you see a difference?

For example, when I was younger I loved rollercoasters. My friends and I would do our best to ride the first car EVERY TIME. We had NO fear -huge hills, corkscrews, loops... whatever it offered, we were there.

Now... as hard as this is to admit... I can't even swing on the swingset at the playground without getting nauseous. No joke. Five minutes is all that I can handle before I need to jump off, walk around, and try to get the contents of my stomach to stay put. (A couple of times they didn't - can you even believe that?! Thank goodness, no one else was around, but my son or that would have made it worse.)

Here's something else -what I eat and the time of day I eat it affects me. So, if my spaghetti sauce at dinner is too spicy, then I'm feeling it all evening and the next morning, too. This is from someone that could literally drink hot sauce from the bottle and never notice a thing.

It's sad. Really, really sad.

So, what's next?

Grey hair? Got it.

Wrinkles? Starting to get it.

Naps every afternoon? Oh, how I wish.

How about holding every book I'm reading at arm's length just to see the print? No... not there yet... I'm WAY too nearsighted for that to set in now.

I think what's coming is going to be a tie between forgetfulness and repeating myself. Yeah -I'm starting down that road... I can feel it. Just ask my husband. He'll confirm it.

I'm going to be like my parents who start to tell me the same story every time we talk:

Them: "Did you hear about (so-and-so) who bought a new car?"

Me: "Yes... you mentioned that earlier."

Them: "We did? Oh."

Later, I will hear them talking about someone I knew growing up or a friend of the family that died in some tragic way months ago, and no one told me.

Me: "Wait! Who died? When? How? Why didn't you tell me?"

Them: "We didn't tell you? Oh, that happened last fall. Are you sure we didn't tell you? Hmmm.... We really thought we told you."

Me: "No... never told me..."

Them: "Oh, but did we tell you about (so-and-so) who bought a new car?"

Yes... I'm headed in that direction. And just because I tease them about it, then it will probably happen even sooner.