Mortality

I am of the age where my kinfolk are slowly passing on. I was blessed to have had great grandparents long enough to know who they were and remember them. My first memories of cooking, which led to my life long love of it, came from my great grandma Gruner and my grandmother Marjorie. My first "manly" pursuits were with my great grandpa Bass and my grandfather Gerald (or G.I.). We would hunt at the strip pits left by coal mining and fish in the local lake. I never pursued hunting and am an average fisherman. All those folks and many more have gone to their great reward. Every loss is significant and they all wear on you. You realize your legacy lies not in any achievements you might have made or how much you acquired. It is simply the memories and love that you leave behind. The best you can hope for is that people think well of you and respect the path you walked. It has become apparent to me that, at best, I have twenty five years left to walk on this earth. It is sobering to realize and accept that a quarter century is all that you have left to live. I am unfortunately saddled with heart disease, both genetic and my doing. I am also part of that population that has no health insurance. Both of these things do not bode well for longevity. I am slowly accepting the fact that I am also a senior citizen. I did not mean for this blog to turn into a downer. I've just realized how precious the time I have left is. So I have to resolve to make every day count. When I don't accomplish much, I'll enjoy the rest I'm having and not beat myself up over it. I'll try to be a better grandpa and dad. I'll also try to be a better friend to my friends. I'll try to get my "house" in order so that my passing is as little a burden as possible. This getting old is not for amateurs-is it?