Aging?

Perhaps one day I’ll figure out this aging business. In my mind, I am still thirty at most, although the body tells me differently. They say that sixty is the new thirty. Well I guess. But as I stand on this portal into real age, I can’t help but wonder about what will come. Are our bodies really meant to last ninety or a hundred years? If they are, what about out brains? I know what happened with my dad.

That question has come up once again. This time with the in-laws. They are well into the eighties, and I am wondering about their mental abilities. They both tend to forget - a lot. But now FIL is in such a state about living in the retirement community the family believes he has become a verbal abuser.

SIL M called me last night to tell me that MIL had stopped the home health people. They were coming three times a week for three hours. That may have been too much, but my first thought was that FIL had been harping on the money they were spending. I think she stopped them completely so he would have one less thing to gripe about.

When G was going to call and check on them, his brother said that MIL didn’t want to talk. I took that as a red flag right there. But G takes things on the surface - he doesn’t look for any hidden meaning.

SIL M also said the admission person called to tell her that the in laws keep asking about a two bedroom apartment. She constantly tells them they are hard to come by. It would be six months at best. Their wait is complicated by the dog. They can only be on the first floor or in the cottages where they are. That limits their options.

She further stated that MIL looks worse than when she came in. She has been sleeping on the couch and he in the bed. Everyone wants them to get twin beds, but MIL is adamant that things "match." They don’t match now. She moved her best furniture, but it is all dated - badly. It looks frumpy! It is gently worn because we never sat in the living room much, but it is worn and frumpy. She never has had a sense of style, and hasn’t gotten one now.

So all of this means that the sons will pilgrimage, unannounced, to San Antonio tomorrow. It is only about 90 miles for P and 200 for G. P just gets to drive the wonderful I 35 road way. I guess they are going to confront FIL. I don’t see anything good coming from this. It is amazing that after over 60 years of marriage FIL would become a verbal abuser. He was always a kind, gentle man to his family. How has age affected his brain?