As I grow older, my body is losing its youthful appearance. I’ve observed elderly individuals and noticed the wrinkles that accompany aging. I don't have many wrinkles on my face—just two small lines near my eyes, which I like to think of as laugh lines rather than wrinkles. If I hadn't been so cheerful throughout my life, those lines wouldn't exist at all. I also do not have any of the typical wrinkles on my philtrum, thanks to falling flat on my face while trying to chase an errant Steven when he was younger. One disadvantage is that I am no longer able to whistle, but to my delight the scar tissue underneath that space between my nose and my lip has remained taut, preventing any skin crimping.

The bones of many elderly individuals shrink in size and density, but I recently had a bone density test for osteoporosis that showed my bones are still quite youthful. Theoretically, I could still jump rope, a favorite childhood activity of mine, if it weren't for the fact that my heart rate would spike dramatically and I would pee my pants with each bounce.

I have always had freckles, which multiplied after every trip to the beach. Now that I'm older, my face, arms, and legs are covered in various shades of brown spots, often referred to as age spots. My skin is sagging more, particularly under my upper arms, which have lost their muscle tone.

For some odd reason, I seem to have lost my eyelashes. They were sparse to begin with, so I often used mascara to make them look fuller. Now, I need a magnifying glass just to find any at all. The wisps are so tiny that using mascara hardly seems practical. As a result, my eyes look very tired, even if I get twelve hours of sleep each night. I have thought about wearing false eyelashes, which are all the rage now, but when I tried that, I glued my eyes shut. My fingers just are not dainty enough to accomplish this beauty trick.

I have started to lose my memory. While remembering names has always been difficult, now dates and times of doctor appointments, birthdays, and other important activities sometimes slip my mind. I use the calendar on my phone, not only to note important dates but also to send myself reminders a few days in advance so I can prepare. This technique has been especially helpful for remembering the many birthdays I have to keep track of, giving me time to order gifts from Amazon and have them arrive on time using Amazon Prime.

One thing I am not losing is sleep, having always been a great napper. I can sleep anyplace, anytime, perhaps without the immediate worries about my five children who now must worry about themselves because they are adults with families of their own. I am asleep five minutes after I crawl into bed at night, feel the crisp white sheets and cuddle up to Hubby. We both drift off quickly with a smile on our faces.

As I age, my body HAS changed, and I have lost eyelashes and muscle strength. However, each day brings new memories. We celebrated Steven's wedding in Mexico in March, attended a niece's high school graduation last week, have a wedding shower for a nephew's fiancée next month, and the possibility of the birth of more grandchildren, grandnieces and grandnephews. A grandson's eighteenth birthday is coming up, right after his mom's fortieth birthday. There are new restaurants to try, new friends to make, new movies and TV shows to watch, new trips to take—including a Thanksgiving trip to Maui with our oldest son, Francis, and his family. Each day I gain much more than I have lost. Life is good!