QUARANTINE LIFE: WISE WORDS

Both of my parents are deceased. It still seems unbelievable, sometimes.

There's something about talking to their friends, however, that keeps them alive. You'll never be their peers; you met them as a child, and there's always that level of respect that you feel compelled to demonstrate, but just chatting as an adult really is a wonderful thing.

Today, I had a wonderful conversation with my Mom's friend, co-worker, and mentee, Anna. The fact that she remembered me, and that her voice was as vibrant and strong as I remembered it, made my heart glad. She said she was amazed by her age. When I told her mine, she was shocked. "I'm right behind you", I laughed. She was glad I was still painting and teaching. I love that she's still active.

"The older you get, in order to fight being forgetful, you have to get involved in things. You have to re-teach yourself how to handle it--early on. The older you get, the prouder you are that you survived all of those kinks that can come up in life, sooner or later. As you grow older, you just don't look the same--and you don't look at things the same, either."