Goodbye 2013! You've wasted enough of my time in wheel-spinning pursuits! Focus and concentration present as priorities for me in 2014, and it will be a pleasure to make plans! My 75th birthday will occur in 2014, but I am far from finished. I promise there will be no dwelling on illness or lack; my speech will reflect my wellbeing. Tragedy and loss will come; 2013 brought its share of wounding events. I choose to dwell, instead, on opportunity, so bring it on 2014! Bring it!
     The close of this year brought me new perspectives on loss, more intimate and profound than I have known, since I was much younger. Two dear friends passed from this life, during the year. They seemed, simply, to have slipped away. With their departures, I sealed a chapter of life in senior affordable housing. Determined to continually take steps forward, rather than backward, I hold my ground.

     My children, now in their forties and fifties, are subject to the vicissitudes of aging. Being present for them, though, is not determined by physical or financial strength. This has been a difficult and humbling lesson for me. We are raised to reciprocate in kind, showing our gratitude by means of things. When the ability to buy a gift, help decorate a home, enjoy a shopping trip, fade, it isolates us. It is also an exercise in gracious receiving. Truly it is more blessed to receive than to give.

Education is the best provision for old age. -Aristotle

     For so many millions of seniors, limitation has become expectation. From experience, it is more than sufficient burden to be physically limited. A close friend and I recently discussed how many seniors in our state, lack the information or tools they need to obtain benefits and assistance. My friend speaks with desperate elders every day in her work. She has come to believe many of her clients are so "beaten down," they cannot act. Nevertheless she continues to provide information and technical help, so seniors can help themselves. We agree the plight of aging Americans will worsen, without collective action. Resolve to speak up, not only with your congressional representative, but with tight-fisted conservatives. Be involved in helping yourself and others this year. An excellent place to start is the National Gerontological Society; many states have their own. Here is a link to resources available on the national site:

http://www.geron.org/Resources/Web%20Links

We all share the responsibility for articulating American values. It takes perseverance to create social justice, and we are the people who can balance the scales.