-1Kristian Miranda
Adulthood and Aging
Essay 5
The subject of aging was never a big concern with me until my grandmother passed away this past December. Before then, I had never lost a loved one. It was the first time I had ever experienced losing someone who was very close to me. Not to long after her passing, I started have anxious thoughts and feelings about death that I had never been had before. I started worrying about what lies ahead for us after life. This issue has always burdened mankind, but only in the past seven to eight months has it really affected my everyday thoughts.
My grandmother to me, was the most gentle person I have ever met. She always treated everyone she met with love and compassion. I remember as a child she used to teach me about her upbringing as a catholic student. She taught me many things about having a close relationship with God will pull you through any kind of hardship you one might face in life. As a child I always thought my grandparents would be around forever.
As I grew older she did as well. About six years ago my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Over the years her mind and body slowly but surely deteriorated. She passed away this past December three days before Christmas. Thoughts of aging and death have been lingering in my mind ever since then. I started wondering whether or not I would want to live long enough to where I myself would start experiencing similar effects of aging. I witnessed both my grandparents suffer the effects of not only Alzheimer’s disease, but also various physical ailments.
They started losing energy throughout the day, my grandmother would walk very slowly than she used to. We always would have to walk slower with her so she could keep up. She would complain about back, hip, and joint pains consistently and progressively. She would attend social events with her friends less and less. She needed medical treatment more often the older she got...