Today is my great granddaughter’s second birthday. And I can’t hug her. It is also,as I have noted before the anniversary of my husband’s deathday (1973). Mia’s birthday is a lovely way to remind me of the significance of the date, and I am so grateful. I know I am approaching mine, I don’t know when. God knows, as they say, and He hasn’t told me yet.

In the meantime, I am coping with and finally really aware of MY AGE. See, as I’ve told you I have no role models. I’m not older than God yet, but I’m older than almost anyone I know. Who knows what’s next? What i do know and have noticed is how much I have aged—in the last few months, it seems. Maybe I didn’t notice before. Well, this is what 89 looks like. More important, this is what 89 feels like. Not great.