So I patted and shhhed until, once again, he was asleep. I wiggled my toes before starting my retreat to warm them. Then I moved very slowly, keeping each step balanced and light. I almost made it to the door when my knee exploded. Crack. There was no way my grandson would sleep through that! Sure enough, I heard him call me.
I remained quiet hoping he would turn around and go back to sleep but he got agitated instead, crying to come out.
So, back I went, shhhing and patting and silently reprimanding my body for its lack of cooperation. Once more I heard the deep, even breathing. I stopped patting but remained in place a little longer.
Threatening my body with dire consequences, like extra time at the gym or wearing shoes in the house, something my feet and I don’t particularly like to do, if it should so much as creak, I gingerly headed toward the door. Each step seemed to take a day. I got to the threshold and slowly eased my way through. As I carefully pulled the door closed, I heard a stirring, a little whine, and a questioning whisper. I held my breath. Then all was quiet.
As I made my way down the hall I ruminated on the difference between being a mother and a grandmother. It wasn’t so much a shift in philosophy or a greater tolerance or even a more expansive understanding of bringing up a child; it was arthritis!
I hope I am getting wiser as I age but one thing is obvious — I sure am getting noisier.
©Ferida Wolff for SeniorWomen.com
Pages: 1 · 2
More Articles
- Medicare Advantage Increasingly Popular With Seniors — But Not Hospitals and Doctors
- Julia Sneden Redux: Age Rage; Sometimes You Just Have to Strike Back
- Medical Billing and Collections Among Older Americans
- Women Consistently Earn Less Than Men; Women Are Over-represented in Lower Paying Jobs and, As They Age, the Pay Gap Widens Even More
- Rose Madeline Mula Writes: I’ve Got A Secret – NOT!
- Government of Canada Renews Investment in Largest Canadian Study on Aging
- Rose Madeline Mula Writes: I Feel Like That Carton of Milk In the Refrigerator Which Is Beyond Its Expiration Date
- Julia Sneden Writes: Age Rage; Sometimes You Just Have to Strike Back
- Once ADAS-trained, Older Adults Find It Easier to Access and Use Driver-assistance Technologies Without Compromising Their Attention to the Road
- Julia Sneden Writes: DisGRAYceful (A hair-raising tale)