I'd always heard that old age was not for sissies; I thought that saying referred to coping with one's own ailments, impairments and indignities.
But, no -- it's a whole lot larger than that.
I've watched my wonderfully healthy mother deal with what has happened to so many people close to her. It started when she was 56 -- more than 30 years ago. One example: a few years back, she went on a three-week trip and came home to find that three friends had died.
My point: you gotta be bold to get old. The elderly don't get enough credit for their strength.
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