02/18/2026
Recently I traveled from my home in Tennessee to visit my 84 year old mum in Florida. She’d lived with me for the past three years, until her health got worse and her care got harder, so we moved her into assisted living near my sister. The facility is bright, the staff are cheerful, there are lots of activities and visitors, and no responsibilities — meals, medicine, laundry and housekeeping are all taken care of.
And the place is depressing and sad. The frail residents look bored to death as they push their walkers through the hallways.
On the drive home, I thought about what I can do to eat better and exercise more to avoid aging badly. But that has been on my mind since January so was really no surprise.
What surprised me is how grateful I feel back in my house — for the unopened mail all over the table, the stacks of notebooks filled with to-do lists, the crowded refrigerator, the dirt all over the floor from the plant knocked over by my cat.
I don’t know how long it will last, but at least for today I am feeling abundantly blessed by my richly full and messy life. 😊💖
