Aging

I hear so many people complain about getting older. Of course, I don't hear this from children or even teenagers. They seem oblivious to aging until they hit a certain point in their life when they realize that all they are doing is adding up the years. But the complaints about growing old sort of make me sad. Do people realize how blessed they are to actually BE older? Sure, I know aging isn't fun. The body loses physical abilities, the mind starts losing thoughts and words, aches and pains can become a frequent thing. I know this because I experience all of these things from time to time. I try not to complain too much, because I am THANKFUL for still being here.

This past Monday (the 17th), I turned 37. This is such a blessing for me. I wasn't given much hope about my future when I was diagnosed at 9 months old with PH and congenital heart disease. The guess from the doctors was that I'd live anywhere from a couple years to maybe 50. I'll be quite honest, I think if any of the doctors who had seen me as a baby saw me today, they would be very shocked to know I'm doing pretty well at the moment! I know I still have bad days or periods of time when I struggle with my health, but overall, it's nothing compared to when I was growing up trying to survive on no medications. So, I am incredibly thankful for every year I get. People look at me oddly when I say "Bring on 40!! Heck, I can't wait til I'm 50!" It just means that I can be here for another year with the people who mean so much to me in my life...even if it does eventually mean that one day I'll be walking around with a cane and hearing aids with lovely white hair!!

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