"When I'm old and grey"

"When I'm old and grey" - a well-worn phrase known to everyone, but not taken seriously by everyone! Suddenly, in my life, "when I'm old and grey" has become ..."Now, I'm old and grey", and it is quite a shock to my system! I actually have refused to accept it.

All my life (and I am in my mid-sixties now) I have considered myself relatively "young" or at least, "young at heart", and never really considered the day when, to my surprise, age has caught up with me, and although I may feel young, my body tells me otherwise. I have struggled in a big way with the fact that I have to actually admit there are certain things I used to do, that I cannot do anymore; skiing, playing competitive tennis, mountain hiking, and a few other strenuous sports/activities that I used to really enjoy. I am not giving up, not at all; I am just being realistic in my expectations.

My knees are "shot" as they say - from a ski accident many years ago, and from general wear and tear, plus inherited genes. My most strenuous activity nowadays is walking 2 miles in the mornings, here in Florida, and exercising in the swimming pool. I am not by any means lazy or prone to giving up - no, quite the opposite in fact. I am determined that my body and my brain are going to continue being fully functional until I am well into my 90's. I have longevity in my genes - my Mother (90) and my maternal grandmother (96 at her death) are proof that genetically, I am programmed to be around for at least another 25 years! Those 25 years are going to be years of productivity - not decline. I have a great, great many plans for my next 25 years. My husband and I have a dream of a large country house in the Okanagan Valley where we intend to grow an apple orchard and a small vinyard; have a house that will take as many grandchildren as we may be lucky enough to acquire, and for me, a garden that I can use all my powers of imagination on. I intend to be as mentally bright as my Mother is today at 90 years of age, as physically active as I can possibly be (no walkers, no canes, no aides of any kind) and as interesting and humourous as it is possible to be at an advanced age. I never want my grandchildren to dismiss me as the grandmother who is "just my Nana". I want them to talk about me the way my children talk about my Mother - interesting, fun, vibrant, full of life, in touch, cool. What a testimony from one's grandchildren!

"Senior citizen", "geriatric", "ageing person", are words that will not be in MY lexicon for a long, long time to come, even though I am now "old and grey".