COURAGE

There have been more than numerous broadcasts made, several novels written, and no telling how many movies made about Americans who acted like heroes as they displayed extraordinary amounts of courage.

Many of the people, males and females, can be found in the military from WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and other wars in which we participated because our government felt like we needed to in order to protect our DEMOCRACY and FREEDOMS.

There have been a plethora of athletes who struggled with deadly disease and dismemberment only to rise above the disappointment and end of careers to find some kind of peace-of-mind, living life living these new cards that had been dealt to them.

And there have been countless stories of ordinary people with no special skills except internal determination, mental strength and fortitude and belief in a greater power who controlled their loss, disappointment and short life after being diagnosed with some sort of life ending disease or cancer.

BUT... we have totally forgotten about all of our senior citizens, who once live vibrant, healthy lives, who once they turned 60, 70, and sometimes older, encountered the gift of OLD AGE that all of us will eventually encounter whether we like it or not.

Old age is horrible because it destroys SLOWLY and METHODICALLY...  tearing down day by day that which up to this point was alive, active, and mentally tantalizing.

None of us realize these daily struggles until they happen to us and when they do, many of us simply give up and just wait around to die.  While other state that they will not go calmly into this good night.

My mother was on a walker for the last 10 years of her life when she died a month or two shy of her 96th birthday.  She was not about to let anything slow her down, attending every event that was offered at assisted living where she had her own apartment.

If you want to see a group of people with courage, just visit your local hospital where cancer infusions are given.  There is not a frown in the room, not on your life, and there never will be.  Most of the people are in their 60s, 70s, 80's, and 90s and some are younger...  BUT they are all appreciative, grateful, and show gratitude for the life they have been given.

OLD AGE IS A BITCH AND THEN WE DIE...  was what one of my friend's fathers said to me when I was 19 years old...  and I still remember at 76.  The difference is I finally understand what it means.