Cramp MY Style

When we start getting older I find that there somethings that can cramp our style. Many things we can’t do any longer or do at a slower pace no matter the shape we are in. Also, we start hearing about family, friends, or old classmates that are no longer with us. It has been happening at a faster pace lately.

My mother had her ninety-fifth birthday last Friday so she has been used to having the cramp in her style for some time. There no longer anyone in our family that is her generation around; my sister-in-law her parents are still around and they a little more than ten years younger than my mother. They would be the closest to her in age as far as family goes. She has friends that are still around in her age group but they are dwindling more every year, and her classmates from high school and college are very few left as well.

Another cramp for her besides health which is actually pretty good for her age is that she doesn’t travel anymore and now she is going to stop driving as well. She did both of them for so many years. Fortunately she has me nearby to help her out, and she continues to play bridge several times a week, goes to book club once a month along with a couple other groups she belongs to, and church each Sunday. It is nice she is able to have good relationships with friends she has had for many years though they are mostly younger than her. So the cramp is not totally out of her as of yet.

For all of us that are the next generation we are on the same road she is on right now. Like I said we start losing friends mostly of illness. For most of my friends in my age bracket they are able to enjoy grandchildren now. I don’t have the privilege of having either children or grandchildren so I can enjoy my friend’s children or grandchildren.

Like many of my friends and old classmates we now start dealing with health issues. I have lost old classmates in the last few years as well as my brother-in-law and a couple cousins too. This has come so quickly for all of us.

I have had some health issues over the last few years that have cramped my style for sure. I first had to deal with high blood pressure which is now in good stable contention and then two years ago with blood clot in my right leg. With medicine they are both in pretty good shape. Last year I found that I had a skipping heart; however, with the proper medicine it is taking care of pretty well to. This year I have come down with kidney stones which are not fun as well. I had two of them removed and waiting to take another out unless it passes on its own. Last month my legs were found to be swelling so I have to drink fewer fluids. A catch twenty two because I should drink more fluids for the prevention of kidney stones; however, I have to drink less because of the swelling of my legs. I am going with drinking fewer fluids because of my heart. The thing though is my legs are cramping a little along with the swelling though it has gone down. So you can see I am literally having my style cramping; however, I am not complaining because I can still do a lot of things like I have in the past, and I figure to that if I follow the same gens as my mother I have a lot of years left to give everyone encouragement and trouble using my voice with sense of humor and my writing here.

When I see the state of so many others I feel fortunate I am blessed in so many ways though cramping my style. So we must live within the new style of living. So let’s say “We won’t let cramping keep us down”.