How I Cope With the Unforgiving Losses of Aging
What ability will vanish next?
Tears poured from my eyes. Fortunately, I could still see the cars around me, many racing home after a long day on the job.
I hadn’t steeled myself for the bad news but had been more like a naive blank slate. It hit me like a bomb. I shouldn’t have been surprised.
Of course, I have hearing loss at 73. But how could it be moderate to severe in some frequencies when everything sounds exceptionally loud due to sound sensitivity?
I’d never envisioned myself as a granny with hearing aids, especially since I’ve never had children. How could this be happening to me?
It felt like my world was coming to an end.
I poured my heart out to my older sister during our afternoon FaceTime. She struggles with Age-Related Macular Degeneration. She knows. What ability will vanish next?
I cried myself to sleep that night and still felt teary when I woke up. I wouldn’t feel like myself again for another 24 hours.
If only there were a magical solution for the emotional pain of losing our capacities. I don’t have a magic wand, but the following attitudes and actions bring me more ease and even a sweet smile now and then when faced with difficult news.
