76 years

 I can remember both of my grandparents when they were 76 years of age. Both were still busy active people although greatly slowed down from their busy adult-hoods. My grandfather had been retired for ten years from the Canadian National Railways where he was a blacksmith having come from England to work for the then Grand Trunk Railway in 1913. He had been a blacksmith on the South Eastern Line in England living at Eastleigh near Southampton. He lived with us and used to garden our enormous yard. My grandmother was still helping her son in his store but she had not worked outside of the home for many years but did work when she first came to Canada in 1908 until she married in 1913. They were both widowed at that time but with seven grandchildren I do not think they had much time to think about all of that. 

Both talked about their spouses so I learned quite a bit about them when I was young. Sort of the fun things about them as I recall. They had reached a point in their grieving where acceptance had sunk in and they moved on with their lives although in a rather quiet way. They were both very quiet people. 

Both lived to be about 80 years of age but my maternal grandmother was 13 years younger than my paternal grandfather. When my grandfather turned 78 he did seem to age quicker I can remember. He spent more time sitting quietly although still liked to take a big walk every day. Stroke was common for the elderly in those days. He was a smoker and the stroke that he eventually succumbed to was sudden and he was gone. He was greatly missed by me. I was eight years of age at that time. My grandmother was quite active right up into her late 70s and was actually out gardening the day that she had a stroke and she too did succumb to that stroke as well. She was not a smoker though but diets were high in salt and she did have high blood pressure. Both lived about ten years longer than the average person in those days. 

It is sort of funny that I am now 76 as I never expected to live this long having been quite ill in my early 30s. Looking back now as I acquired my health back again in my 30s I am amazed to still be running and exercising but perhaps that is what brought me back as I have always been a bit of an exercise fanatic. Looking after Edward over his last year was extremely difficult and exhausting. I did wonder if I would follow him quickly as used to happen when one spouse nursed the other. But my daughters have been taking care of me and my strength has gradually returned. 

Thank you God for letting me live on this earth to the age of 76 years. Much is happening in the world around me as my grandparents used to say with each new invention happening. The same is true now in my old age as each new computer is better and better. This one I have now is coming up on three years of age when I generally replaced them. However this one still is only 50% full of the hard drive and only because I backed up Edward's machine onto it. I may delete all the songs that he has backed up as they do not interest me. I like Classical (he did too but he also liked country and western and jazz and many other kinds of music). That would clear up quite a bit of room. 

Whatever will 76 bring one wonders!