This blog presents the ideas and creative thinking of some of Utah's talented older adult writers. Their submissions are to inform and entertain, not to present policy or opinion positions of the Utah Commission on Aging. Enjoy.
With warmer weather and dry roads springing up everywhere, I’m seeing a ton of people out on bikes. It’s great. I’m a cyclist from way back. I was able to keep riding even after breaking my neck. There’s nothing better than spinning along the road on two wheels—or heading up a mountain trail, if you have the strength and balance. The scenery, the wind in the face, the endorphins are all to be enjoyed.
When Abraham Lincoln laughed at something during the Civil War, he is rumored to have been criticized for it, and in response he said, “If I didn’t laugh, I would surely cry.” Those of you who are caregivers, either professionally or for a loved one, know that can be true of us, too. If we only see the serious side of things, what is happening can sometimes seem unbearable.
I wasn’t with him when my husband, Dennis, passed away at 12:10 a.m. on May 2, 2021. I got the news on my cell phone. I heard about my father’s passing in the same way, so I knew what I had to do. I dressed quickly and drove to the memory care facility where he had been for only eight days.
The other day, while scrolling down the list of Apple News top stories on my iPhone, I nearly threw my phone in the garbage can. In my 71 years, I can’t remember reading so many horribly negative, depressing headlines in one small space.
On the calendar, it says July 4th is Independence Day. To me, every day is a day to celebrate our independence and freedom.