Seniors Considering The Good Life

Posted by Hildra Tague Jun 15, 2009

Last month was not what one would call a good month. In fact, there was absolutely no evidence of "the merry month of May" we've all heard so much about.

It all started with respiratory problems. Yet I have never smoked in my entire life! But as a child I did lime the dairy barn so I do have both lung and especially bronchial repercussions from that. Once I get a respiratory issue (a couple of times a year), I often end up with a stubborn secondary infection, yada, yada. So I gave in and checked with my doctor, and he prescribed antibiotics, anti-virals for both me and my spouse, and suggested a degree of preventive isolation for a while. So I didn't teach, and since my husband is a cancer patient with immunity issues, we each lived in separate parts of the house during that time, washing hands and using sanitizers. And since at that time, I found my pocketbook a somewhat on the empty side, a bit of organization was required to make this work out!

That was only the beginning. After a couple of weeks I had mostly recuperated, and I received an urgent call from a good friend asking me to come and pick her up as she was "very, very, sick." Since that older friend was hardly ever ill, I dropped everything (even leaving my morning walking clothes on--not for going out) and rushed to get her. It was a serious situation, so I stayed at the hospital for a few days till she was out of the woods enough for surgery, and was beginning to recover. At that point I took a deep breath and headed home to get back to my life of teaching, caregiving, writing, and putting our house back together from the respiratory scare. But my body rebelled against too much excitement and I lost 8 pounds that week and had a bit of a setback.

Little did I know it was not over. The next day we got word that a nephew had drowned, and panic mode started over again, but with grief added. Since no one plans to bury their own child, the financial woes of such parents was made all too clear. It was at that point I learned more than I wanted to know about cremation and funerals, and was reminded of the shattering angst of unexpected grieving.

Then of course, the last couple weeks of school loomed larger than life before me. It's always important to help the school year have a positive ending, and give parents ideas on how to keep learning alive during the summer break. So I threw my body and soul into that and didn't come up for air till a few days later.

Then in talking to a new senior friend, she shared how she had lost her husband from Alzheimer's disease. That reminded me of how many people go through similar scenerios. One more reason for older adults to see their doctor regularly!

While I wasn't looking the day lilies stuck out their lovely heads and the roses went wild. Now as I sit and sip my morning coffee, I reflect on last month, and remember to be grateful for having survived it to see the sun rise once again, as it always remembers to do.

Folks, have a wonderful summer, and remember that no matter what befalls you, it's up to each of us to consider the good life!