Getting Old...39º---Rainy

This could be sad, funny, rueful, or just facing the facts...I Have heard from or about my three sisters in the past week so the following thoughts are ever in my mind.

My oldest sister Loraine age 85, is the mother of 9 children, lost her husband, Steve, after 66 years of marriage, just last year...Many blessings have come her way through this life and she is surrounded by her extended family...She has also had tragic events to deal with along the way... Losing a 10 year old daughter, A fire that destroyed the family home, loosing a leg to frost bite at age 80 and in recent weeks moved into an assisted living facility as dementia erodes her memory and makes it unsafe for her to live alone.

My second oldest sister Barbara age 83, mother of one son lives with her husband Jim of 63 years..She just recently lost the sight in one eye and yesterday had surgery to clean out one of her carotid arteries to hopefully avoid a stroke...Up until now other than knee surgeries, she has led an active life and still works tirelessly gardening on their 3 acres...About 5 years ago she decided to add a water feature to the landscape...So wielding a pick and shovel she dug a hole through an old gravel driveway, lined it with plastic, surrounded it with rocks, made her own filter system and planted in and around and now has a cozy sitting area to watch the birds and enjoy the flower gardens...Her only son and his family live far away and keep in touch by phone...Friends and neighbors have become her second family and reach out to her at this time, driving her 100 miles for this recent surgery...She will return home today with Jim waiting to be her nurse and the friends and neighbors standing by...In my mind I see her back in her gardens soon.

My sister Mona age 75, mother of 5 children lives with her husband of 56 years and told me yesterday she has a contract out on the "Guy" that said retirement years are the "Golden Years"...She says he is full of BS and she would like to pound him into a grease spot!..Now Mona lives with husband Jerry in an apartment within a house that they share with family...With this arrangement they hope to live out their years tending fruit trees, growing their own vegetables and continue traveling as long as possible and have built in family to help care for them, when they get "Old" and beyond the golden years.

Of course there is much more to this family story and maybe tomorrow I can add to it but now I must get on with the present day...Hugs to all....  OWAV:)