They say “time flies,” and that’s the truth. And maybe it’s just me, but it seems that not only is time speeding by at an alarming rate, but it has brought more change with it than I ever thought possible. It’s been almost eight years since I started this blog, and the changes that have occurred in those eight years alone amaze me. And I’m not just talking about the changes I see when I look at my stat page.
On the family front, both my son and daughter got married and became parents, which means we’ve added three precious grandchildren to our family. Realizing I was old enough to be a grandmother was a bit of a shock, but the first time I laid eyes on my newborn grandson, I happily accepted my new role. (Even though my requests to have my grandchildren refer to me as “Wise One” or “Goddess of Youth and Beauty” were ignored. I’ve learned to make do with “Gramma.”) My husband was diagnosed with colon cancer, went through the treatments and now enjoys remission. We lost our great-nephew, a wonderful and much-loved young man, suddenly and unexpectedly. My mother moved into a retirement home, which required considerable downsizing of a lifetime’s accumulation. We said goodbye to our beloved Lucy, the smartest dog I have ever known, and welcomed Finn into our home. Anyway you look at it, that’s a lot of change in a short time.
The changes in my blogging world aren’t nearly so personal, but they are plentiful. My blog grew in unexpected ways, as I branched out from writing just about middle age and connected with people all over the world. Some blogging friends and regular readers have faded away, but new ones have taken their place. I’ve learned, mostly, to keep up with the constant changes that Word Press makes, although I’m still managing to avoid using the “block editor.” (I’ve taken many writing courses, and not one of them mentioned “blocks.”) And sometimes I let my dog, Finn, write a guest post on the subject of his choice. So yes, my blog has changed a bit in the past eight years.
I know that the upcoming years are going to bring even more changes, probably at an even faster rate. My husband will go into partial retirement at the end of this month, and my oldest grandchild will begin kindergarten next year. After over twenty years of walking shelter dogs, I’m recognizing that my body is now forcing me to pick and choose which dogs I walk. Although my mom is still in good health, she’s reached the stage of her life where her need for assistance is steadily growing. I also know that the time is coming, sooner than I’d like to admit, when I’ll be the one in the retirement home…..
`So I’m responding to all this in the only way that makes sense: I’m accepting it. In some ways, I also embrace and welcome the changes that life has brought. (Did I mention my adorable grandchildren?) Other changes, like the growing arthritis in my thumbs, I’d gladly do without. But I know that the future will bring plenty of joy to offset the challenges, and that the key to aging well is to simply live as well as you can, each and every day. And that’s exactly what I intend to do.