They Keep You Young

October 27th, 2022

A week ago, I went to see my doctor for my annual physical. To my surprise my numbers were all good. The blood and urine tests showed me to be healthy. Blood pressure and EKG were alright. Everything was in the green.

My doctor asked me, “So, are you doing anything special to keep healthy, or is it dumb luck.?”

“Go with dumb luck.”

“Well, whatever you are doing, keep doing it.”

I told him, “I do have a health concern.”

He looked at me with curiosity. He said, “And?”

I continued, “I need to live until I’m eighty, sixteen years from now. That is when Asher, our grandson, becomes an adult. My wife and I are his legal guardians.”

My doctor kept looking at me, and replied, “Well, that puts life into a different perspective. Let’s see what we can do about that.”

After further discussion, he suggested strongly that I get the colonoscopy that is overdue. I reluctantly agreed.

Any number of people have told me that I am lucky to be caring for Asher, our toddler grandson. Our friends keep saying, “They keep you young!”

Maybe.

I suspect that caring for Asher does have some bearing on my wellbeing, besides the fact that I am always tired. I would not say that he keeps me young. I would suggest that he keeps me active and alert, which probably slows down the aging process a bit.

It is impossible to care for a toddler without maintaining constant vigilance. Asher is always into something. It usually requires less than a minute for him to be involved in an activity that is mildly destructive and possibly unsafe. So, mental acuity is essential when I am watching over him. No wool gathering allowed.

Asher, when awake, is in constant motion. He has apparently unlimited energy. When it is my shift to watch the lad, I have to be moving. He is an agent of chaos, scattering objects in his path. He goes through a room like a miniature tornado. I follow him, picking up the debris. It’s not really an aerobic kind of exercise for me, but I am definitely not sedentary. I get a workout.

Asher is doing his part to keep me healthy. He doesn’t realize that, but he is.

I just wish I didn’t feel so worn out.