Adapting to aging

We drove the four hours down to Yachats and arrived just in time to unpack before meeting two of Sue's brothers and their wives for dinner. Phil, on the right, is 88 this year. Mark, left, is turning 75. Phil is selling his house at the coast, as the nine-hour drive from his home in California is too much for him now, as is upkeep on a second home, much though his five children (and their children and grandchildren) have enjoyed staying there for summer holidays since they were toddlers. We were happy for the opportunity to see Phil without traveling south nine hours--for perhaps the last time.

Mark lives at the coast and has done since he was in his 20s, but he is trying to sell his business and retire. His adult children live far away and never took an interest in his business anyway. Mark has plenty of vitality, but the demand of running a business is taking a toll on his energy, and he'd love to travel more and work less.

Sue has four brothers and three sisters, all very close-knit, but now that all but "the baby" have moved into their 70s and 80s, everyone is exploring new territory. 

Excerpt of a poem by Rita Dove called "Testimonial":

Back when everything was still to come,
luck leaked out everywhere.
I gave my promise to the world,
and the world followed me here.

In Ten Poems about Getting Older, selected and introduced by John McCullough, Candlestick Press, 2021.