Sixty-two

I'm practicing thinking of myself at my new age. Yesterday the calendar rolled over on me again, and I'm glad to be here, especially of sound body and mind, but Lord it's hard to think of yourself as sixty-something.  I had a phone call yesterday afternoon from a guy I've been friends with since elementary school; he said what I have been thinking. Inside this fluffy, crinkly me is the person I've always been. My brain can remember 12 and 22 just as well as 42 and 52. We agreed that we actually feel better than ever, if you ignore the achy knuckles. Somebody else has to put up with your kids and your house and car are paid for. You can still work if you want to, but technically could go fishing. Even though the 60's means gone to seed instead of flower power for us these days, we're doing pretty well for ourselves. If you're really lucky, God gives you the 60's and 70's to enjoy what you've worked for before He needs you to come home.
Speaking of which, Sloan had another very interesting conversation on Saturday...this one with her parents. They were off to meet some friends for a street fest and Sloan insisted on bringing along the framed Psalm that Michelle made when she was born. The kids tried to talk her out of bringing something fragile along, but she told them that she needed to show it to her friend Kate and talk to her about God. They asked her why she needed to do this and she replied that God is not fun, He's important. We are not going to be on earth forever and we need to know about God. None of us have had this conversation with Sloan and I have to admit that we are not good church goers. In fact, Sloan especially doesn't like to go to "that church by Nai Nai's house." When she was just tiny, she told B that God was in there (the living room). And most recently I heard her tell Tyler not to be afraid in his room alone that God is always with him. When I asked her how she knew this, she told me, as if I were the child, that He told her. And you know what? I think that He did.
This is going to be a hectic week. Yesterday I had to work on curriculum with the social studies committee, but I got to go out to lunch for my birthday with a couple of friends. Then I had to run to Loew's and get stuff to repot plants. By the time I finished that job, it was cocktail time and I was worn out and sweaty. Today I have pilates and tonight I have bridge. Tomorrow I'm going out to lunch for my birthday again and playing mah jongg in the afternoon. Thursday I have jury duty, but it's only municipal court, so it can only last one day, and Friday I'm going in to town to meet some high school friends for lunch at Palazzo. It feels so good to be able to do all this running around and not be having to get up and go to work. But I was reminded of something this morning. On the subject of retiring, Justice Thurgood Marshall famously said he didn't want to retire. He wanted to live to 110 and be shot by a jealous husband. I like his attitude!