A Taste of Flava

I Understand Them Better Now

As I have gotten older and learned to live with arthritis, chronic pain, and changes in mobility, I find myself thinking more and more about my Mommy, Daddy, and Grandma Matsu.

When I was young, I did not think much about how they moved through the world. They were simply the adults in my life.

Grandma Matsu had her remedies.

I remember the smelly patches she would use and a little ball on a spring with a handle that she would use on her aching muscles and joints. She sat a lot, but she was already elderly for as long as I can remember. She lived to be 93 years old.

My mother was a homemaker. She cooked, baked, gardened, read books, worked crossword puzzles, and watched her favorite television shows. She did not drive, so she walked or took the bus when Daddy was unavailable. Looking back, I realize she sat a lot too. At the time, I never questioned it.

My father stayed busy. He was active in church, served on committees, and enjoyed taking long drives to look for hawks and eagles while sharing a picnic lunch with Mommy. He pushed through pain more than anyone I knew. Yet he also used a cane, struggled with bladder issues, and eventually needed a walker.

What is interesting is that I never remember conversations about injections, specialists, or surgery.

They simply adapted.

Today, I find myself doing some of the same things.

I pace myself.

I use a cane when I need it.

I choose my activities carefully.

I pay attention to how my body feels.

And sometimes I sit more than I once did.

The difference is that I now understand what they may have been experiencing.

As a child, I saw aging.

As an elder, I understand adaptation.

I understand that the cane was not weakness.

The slower pace was not laziness.

The extra sitting was not giving up.

It was wisdom.

Our bodies change as we age. Some of us face arthritis, chronic pain, mobility challenges, and health conditions that require us to live differently than we once did.

Today, I see pieces of Grandma Matsu, Mommy, and Daddy in myself.

And oddly enough, that realization brings me comfort.

They found ways to continue living meaningful lives.

I intend to do the same.

Lady Flava 🌻