It's Commin' Around Again!

Perhaps as it should be, we are so absorbed in our own life's journey that we give little thought to 'this' cycle of life and its culmination. I have long noted others' frustration with my Mother's weariness and her frequently spoken words, "I wish the Lord would call me home." I get it, she is ninety-three, has a number of physical maladies and her family love ones and close friends of her generation are all 'gone.' She is trapped in a quiet foreign place, which was once noisy and familiar.

Yes! I get it. My wife and I travel to Highland today to gather with her family to celebrate the life of sister-in law, Jean (Bischof) Conrad. Her death now leaves but two of the six Bischof children alive; my brother-in law, Glenn and my wife, Gerry. Let me assure you that 'back-in-the-day,' that group was something to behold at a family wedding or reunion; no more. Oh, today there are a bunch of nephews & nieces from my wife's siblings but they are in an entirely different cycle phase; they don't know me and I don't know them, however, Jean, Jack, Vince, Donald, Marilyn, Ruth and the list goes on; they all knew me and I knew them...but they are gone. My circle with whom to chat is shrinking. I am most certain that there are far more at these family funerals asking each other,"Who the hell is the tall old-gray-headed guy?" That would me me, kiddos and it seems like just yesterday that I was the youngin' asking that question.

I understand that a recent statistic reveals that 80% of the American population over the age 100 are women. This does not surprise me because I have long believed this to be a possibility. I base my suspicion on the fact that for years, I go the Sunday Church service early so I can get one of the 'good seats' in the back and when sitting back there, I notice more grayish-blue-haired women than bald-headed gents!

Without question the recent explosion of the senior-citizens' communal living, i.e. 'independent/assisted-living' housing growth stave's off this lonely-isolated feeling, however sooner or later someone gets to be the oldest amongst the oldest.