Health

This past week I was sick. The aching muscles, can't do anything but rock in pain, kind of sick. I missed my art class, I didn't leave the house for two days, and the mess piled up around me at home. I am slowly getting back to normal, still feeling just a little off.
I was reflecting this week on how I take a strong body and mind for granted. In an instant, I can go from strong, productive me to lump on the couch dreading her walk to get a glass of water. And I can indulge in pampering my aches and pains because I'm certain that in a day or two, I will return to full health and resume my normal activities.
And I am grateful that this is possible. I am grateful for my health and all of the ways that I can engage in the world around me.
My grandfather has dementia. This year he stopped remembering everyone except my grandma. He doesn't talk much these days, because he doesn't understand most of what people tell him, and he's used to people not understanding what he shares. He and my grandma celebrated 60 years of marriage on March 15th. When my Mom asked him if he knew how long he had been married, he guessed 5 years. It's an interesting answer. When he had been married 5 years, he didn't have any children. Perhaps that's why he's so surprised when people tell him he has children and grandchildren. I wonder if he's rewinding himself out of his life, slowly pulling in the memories and erasing his age. I wonder if there's a logic in the madness of his mental decline.