Use It Before You Lose It
Old age. Everyone gets older. It's the way it is. And nobody knows what age they will be when they die. Statistically, you know that life expectancy is around 77 years old. But what if you live past that... way past that? Every day you must wonder when your time will come. My hubby's grandmother is going to be 98 in two weeks. My grandmother is going to be 99 in 2 months. All of her friends are dead. She says, out loud, that she's tired and is ready to die. Her days are filled with listening to talk radio, watching her "stories" (aka soaps), hoping for a visit from family, maybe attending church, or taking a walk down to the grocery store. But she's still with it, and I can have a real conversation with her. That's pretty cool.
But we younguns sit here and worry about our cholesterol levels (good vs. bad) and go to the gym and fill our days with things to better ourselves. My grandmother has never stepped foot in a gym and has been cooking good comfort food since I can remember. Load on the gravy! And use more butter in that creamed spinach! It's all about the flavor, and making your guests happy. To this day, you can visit her at ten in the morning, and will immediately be offered a "little nibble" (aka schapps or blackberry-flavored brandy) and it doesn't matter if you're the one driving. It's rude to say no. She'll down her shot saying that she really shouldn't because of her blood pressure medicine. She'll sneak teaspoons of peanut butter during the day. Her guilty pleasure. Imagine being concerned with your waist line when your 99. I mean, honestly, who's looking?
I think it's all a matter of luck in your draw. You may be healthy as can be, only to die in a freak treadmill accident. You might watch every calorie, and work out every day and still have high blood pressure. We are so focused on what's wrong with us, and in beating the clock, staying young, that life just passes us by. I can be the same way... I work out to say healthy and I don't eat everything I want all the time. But I definitely don't deprive myself of much. I'll have a glass of wine or two, and sometimes eight. I don't know when my last breath will be, so I want to enjoy it while I got it. Travel. Eat. Drink. I'd rather die with my mouth stuffed full of chocolate, than die weighing in a 110lbs and wearing a size 4, DREAMING of my mouth being stuffed full of chocolate.
But we younguns sit here and worry about our cholesterol levels (good vs. bad) and go to the gym and fill our days with things to better ourselves. My grandmother has never stepped foot in a gym and has been cooking good comfort food since I can remember. Load on the gravy! And use more butter in that creamed spinach! It's all about the flavor, and making your guests happy. To this day, you can visit her at ten in the morning, and will immediately be offered a "little nibble" (aka schapps or blackberry-flavored brandy) and it doesn't matter if you're the one driving. It's rude to say no. She'll down her shot saying that she really shouldn't because of her blood pressure medicine. She'll sneak teaspoons of peanut butter during the day. Her guilty pleasure. Imagine being concerned with your waist line when your 99. I mean, honestly, who's looking?
I think it's all a matter of luck in your draw. You may be healthy as can be, only to die in a freak treadmill accident. You might watch every calorie, and work out every day and still have high blood pressure. We are so focused on what's wrong with us, and in beating the clock, staying young, that life just passes us by. I can be the same way... I work out to say healthy and I don't eat everything I want all the time. But I definitely don't deprive myself of much. I'll have a glass of wine or two, and sometimes eight. I don't know when my last breath will be, so I want to enjoy it while I got it. Travel. Eat. Drink. I'd rather die with my mouth stuffed full of chocolate, than die weighing in a 110lbs and wearing a size 4, DREAMING of my mouth being stuffed full of chocolate.
posted by Tracy at 8:04 AM
1 Comments:
god bless the elderly. my granny lived till' she was 93, and drank a Guinness and a shot of Harvey's Bristol Cream every single day (for the last 40 years, anyway). much the same as your Gran, she ate what she wanted, how she wanted and as much as she wanted. i don't think she knew the words "fat free", or "diet". a gym? what the hell is that?!? step into her house and be prepared to be offered fried EVERYTHING. you want some toast? FRIED. you want a glass of juice? FRIED. i jest, but for the most part, it's true. that woman fried everything she ever ate. if i live half as long as her (12.5 more years), i'll be doing well.
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