Sunday columnist Peter Leith is 90 and says he is “half deaf and half blind”. But he finds much to keep himself totally absorbed in life. In fact, he says that he is at least as actively engaged in living as he ever was.
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It is truly sad that when one gets old one has to forego and farewell a number of life’s pleasures, but there are compensations to be found.
One of the good things about being old, and still having a few functioning ‘marbles’, is the ability (and willingness), to recognise and relish ‘special moments’ that one witnesses:
- the enthusiasm and delight with which two women friends greet each other after a long separation
- the expression on a grandmother’s face as she holds out her arms to a tottering, toddling grandchild and the look on the face of the child
- the looks on the faces and the caring body language of two older women helping each other to cross the street
- the look of an old man’s hands as he sits on a bench patting the head of his also old dog. The sound of his voice and the look in the eyes of the dog.
These are all moments to be looked for and treasured, and they are made more precious by the realisation that … I may not pass this way again.
Do you have an idea or observation for Peter? Send it to [email protected] and put ‘Sunday’ in the subject line and we will forward it to him.
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