Older People Are Holding Nothing Back About What It’s Really Like To Get Old

13.

“This dropping dead thing is the thing that bothers me the most. I often tell people that at my age I can go at any moment, and they don’t like to hear it, or they think it is morbid, but it is just a fact. So, that is my only complaint, really, if you even call it that. I am ready; I have lived my life, and my main goal now is to continue to be useful.”

“I always try to remind my son that I may not be here tomorrow. I think he thinks I am trying to manipulate him or make him feel guilty for not spending time with me, but what I am trying to do is get him to realize that when I DROP, he will have tremendous guilt, as I do now, for my neglect of my parents. I don’t want him to spend his life thinking back and feeling bad, so I always tell him, ‘I love you, and I forgive you, and I hope you will forgive me for anything I ever did to upset you.’

He thinks I am dramatic, but honestly, I had no preparation for my mother’s passing; I wish we had said that to each other so much. Tell everyone you even halfway like how special they are every day, and tell your loved ones you love them every time you talk to them.”

—Bella Taylor, Quora