Aging...

"There's a lot of lead in those Golden Years."

That statement was made by President Gordon B. Hinckley who lived long enough to say that with actual life experience to back it up. I turned 60 a month ago and I'm feeling and observing in my own life some of this statement.

Tuesday morning Claude and I went to Georgetown to the funeral service for Ray Sowers. He was a friend from Church. He was a regular attender and had a place he always sat in the chapel. He had some dementia and other issues as he finished his time here on earth.

I played the organ for this service. That gives one a different vantage point to the goings on and the things people are feeling at a funeral service. The organ sits at the front of the chapel on the stand where the podium is. When not playing the organ, I usually just slide off the bench and sit in the choir seats. From the point and I can see all the people except the ones from which the podium obstructs the view. You can watch people and observe their facial and body expressions. I'm sure they can see mine as well.

There was only a handful of family at this funeral. Ray was older than me and had not attended Church for some time because of his health issues. He had a faithful home teacher who gave a wonderful eulogy at the service. Our bishop also gave a very touching talk about what he termed the '3 Step Program' (pre-mortal life, mortal life, & death with life after). Since Ray's family were not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon), Debra Kumar selected hymns from our hymnbook that would have been in a protestant hymnal for the opening and closing hymn. Then Debra sang a special musical number, Amazing Grace. It was just a very nice service, about 45 minutes long, and just the right touch in words and music.

I sat in the choir seat and pondered a bit on my parents and their closeness to this funeral process for them. Then I remembered there is no real timeline for this. Strange things are afoot sometimes in life and I could actually pre-decease them. I felt comfortable again with my wish for me to just have a prayer at graveside instead of a full-blown funeral service. I find myself very matter-of-fact with regard to death and burial and funerals. They can be a difficult and painful thing to talk about and/or deal with. But being so near it and being basically a very practical person in my life, I've determined to just be honest with myself about this final process of our mortal existence.

Tuesday afternoon I was to have visited a lawyer regarding some of my parents personal affairs. She had to postpone that until Wednesday at 11:30am. It was fine but threw my schedule into a spiral. I had a reception with Claude Tuesday evening at a horse farm out by the Kentucky Horse Park. I had my Homemaker's Club meeting Tuesday morning that I would now not be able to attend. With the change in schedule, I needed to shift gears and just couldn't seem to get that to happen. After all, I had my stuff packed and by the door for other events in a certain order. I had lists made to purchase and accomplish things while in Georgetown at certain times.

After the funeral Tuesday, Claude picked up his prescription at the pharmacy and then took us to Pizza Hut for lunch. My Caesar salad and breadstick lunch did not set well on my tummy. We came home and I laid down to rest a bit. Being restless and not settling into any nap, I got up and went to my computer in the basement. Sat there the rest of the day. I could hear Claude snoring and knew he was enjoying a great nap upstairs. I went up at 5pm and told him I really didn't want to go to a reception that evening. He said fine so we settled into an evening at home. Back to my computer until bedtime.

Tuesday night I slept thru the night for the first time in FOREVER. No tossing and turning, no trips to the bathroom, just sleep. I woke up Wednesday morning and was amazed. It was a while before I grasped the fact that I really slept through an entire night. I am my father's child when it comes to not sleeping easily. That, and as you get older, it just is a fact you don't sleep as well. So sleeping through the night was a wonderful, welcome treat.

I got up on Wednesday and I felt great! Really great! No worries about the lawyer visit or all the other 'to do's' generated by caring for my parents. Just a wonderful rested soul.

My visit with this lawyer was very pleasant. She is a nice person and really cares about our situation. I left with some very good advice with the problem I came to her about as well as a few extra suggestions for other areas of their care I had not even thought of.

I treated myself to lunch at Arby's. I hit Kohl's and spent the Kohl's cash I had on Papa  two new pair of pants and a few other things. Then it was time to be at the nursing home to sing with Papa and discuss the events relating to my care of him and Mimi.

Back to Sadieville and my hubby. Claude and I sat in the living room and had a long chat. It was a pleasant chat about my day, his day, and possibilities. We talked about getting older and how be both feel about this beginning decade for us both in our 60's. We will plod on through them with as much direction as we are capable of. We'll find some fun things do to, see and visit. We'll experience some heartache. We'll learn a few things more. I mean really...is that so different from being in our 20's. Our personal package may be a little more out-of-shape and grayer but in our hearts and heads are still that same 19 year old girl and 20 year old guy that determined they would be together for eternity and are working day-by-day to make that young vision a reality. And that my friends is what real life is all about.