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.
My mother got her college degree when she was almost 73 years old. She died of cancer before she turned 74. Was it worth it? I think she would say, “Definitely!” She participated in BYU’s remote education program in the 1990s, before virtual education and even email was a thing. This was made even more difficult because she was living in Brazil. All communication with professors and assignments had to be mailed back and forth.
In my more than 10 years of writing a monthly blog for an in-home care agency and my experience caring for my dad and my husband, I’ve had the opportunity to give advice to lots of caregivers.
You’re 18; you’re finally an adult; you think you know everything. You’ve graduated from high school (which was probably the hardest thing you will ever have to go through), and you’ve reached the moment that you’ve always dreamt of: adulthood. Now you can live your dream life, and you will finally be happy…
Behind that smiling countenance and bullet-proof positive attitude that you’re likely to encounter is the other me: frustrated, beaten down and yes, depressed. Sometimes. Lately it feels like it’s more often than not. My aging spinal cord injury isn’t helping things. Walking, even with crutches, is more difficult than ever. Two worn out painful shoulders are awaiting replacement surgery. Leg spasms are ruling the day. Waaah. Sounds like a lot of complaining to me.
This blog was meant to be. I’m writing it on Veteran’s Day, at the mouth of Utah’s famous Cottonwood Canyons on the first day of the 2022 ski season, in a veteran-owned coffee shop that donates free coffee to troops all over the world.