I remember the days when getting ready for bed meant washing my face and brushing my teeth, something that took all of five minutes to accomplish. These days, however, my nighttime routine has turned into a time-consuming evening event. Let’s see, I now use make-up remover before washing my face and an anti-oxidant facial serum for I don’t even know what, but my sister-in-law said it’s a good thing to use, and besides she gave it to me for a present. After flossing my teeth, I’ve started using a water pick and an electric toothbrush, both recommendations from my dentist. Next, I apply creams and lotions and oils because over the past year or so, my skin has dried up.
I
feel like a spectator in the bleachers watching my body change. My hands have
gotten thinner, and I can see my bones and veins. I’ve joined the “rumply” skin
club. That was a term my son coined as a little boy when describing what he
thought the skin of my mother’s hands looked like. My joints pop when I move, I
hold onto the handrail when I go down the steps, and my friends and I talk
about being cautious when walking outside during the winter.
I
never thought in my wildest dreams that my sleep patterns would ever change
either. I remember when I was a teenager making sure I slept 10 hours each
night – consecutive hours, mind you. While I was raising my children, I was
often exhausted and got through my days much more easily after clocking in
eight hours of sleep, if I was lucky. I never imagined I would one day join the
ranks of the generations before me and function just fine on far less. Now,
after waking up in the middle of the night, if something is weighing on me I
have to will my mind to stop thinking about it in order to fall back to sleep
again. On many occasions, I’ve started preparing Shabbos at 4 a.m. after such
middle-of-the-night musings.
Another
major change has been with my eating habits. Gone are the days of yummy pizzas,
luscious pastries, and crunchy cheese curls. These days, my husband and I
search the ingredients listed on food packages as much as we check for a
reliable hechsher. The other night, I
sat across the dinner table and enjoyed eating vicariously through my son. His
plate was piled high with food, and he ate with such relish. He ate and ate and
ate without letup. I smiled to myself as I figured out that eating, for him,
was something he only thought about doing when his stomach growled. He didn’t
think that his stomach might hurt if he ate too much or ate the wrong type of
food or because he just drowned his Chinese food in spicy garlic sauce. It
didn’t occur to him either that it might be better if he walked around the
block after dinner to aid his digestive system.
And
yet, with all these changes going on, I feel so young. I still get that excited
feeling about the many events that are happening all around me. One of my
friends is starting an entrepreneurial enterprise. She and I talk for hours on
the phone planning and exchanging ideas. We’re having such fun. Another friend
described in detail the recent bo bayom and
bar mitzva of her grandson in
these crazy COVID days. And although COVID has limited the visitations with our
children more often than we’d like, my husband and I try to connect with them
whenever possible. The highlight of our week is talking to our cute little
grandchildren and seeing their sweet faces in the pictures that are sent to us
each week.
Something
else is changing too. Even in my younger days, I wasn’t one to seek out adventure.
I was never the type who knew off the top of my head where the best places were
to visit; I didn’t even know where to look. My husband and I decided we would
like to start
getting away for day
trips when we can. Lately, we’ve gotten into the habit of exploring the great
outdoors. Yesterday, we took a picnic lunch and sat in our beach chairs on the
And
here it is erev Shabbos. The cholent is simmering in the crock-pot, the table is
set, and I’m almost finished cooking. But not to worry, it’s only
Zahava Hochberg enjoys spending time with
her children and grandchildren. She can be reached at zrspeech@gmail.com
