Adapting vs. Limitations

Growing older shouldn’t be littered with “I can’t,” but it’s so easy to slip into living with limitations instead of finding ways to adapt. How we find those ways comes from many sources.

I look to my friends of all ages for inspiration.

I see an older friend living on her own on the top floor of an apartment complex that does not have an elevator. Her deck is like a treehouse garden in the summer, and she’s found ways to enjoy her love of cooking without lugging all her groceries to her home in the treetops.

I see a classmate with physical challenges recommending her physical therapist as others of us find we need them. She’s downsized to first floor living in an idyllic location that’s easy for friends to come up and visit.

I see my mom painting again while she adjusts to vision changes. Those paintings are not only lovely but grace the walls in her living room for all to see.

I see my eight-month-old granddaughter reaching for her mom’s hand and guiding it to bring a spoon of food to her mouth. She didn’t fuss, she just knew what she wanted but didn’t have the coordination to handle the spoon herself.

Last year, I watched my husband build back up from open-heart surgery. From his first steps to walks on the treadmill, he always looked toward what more he could do each day.

So, when I mention I’m living with post-covid symptoms like fatigue and brain fog and someone says it must be hard, I find myself starting to say “yes,” and immediately changing it to “it’s a challenge.”

Sometimes I say “it’s different.”

And I smile.

And I count my blessings (and my adaptations).