Friday, April 6, 2012

Katie

For many of us, getting older carries a negative connotation. But I have watched my sister, Katie, actually turn back the clock, and relish doing it!

Yesterday was her birthday (April 5). I usually have some nasty poem about old age ready for her, but this year it didn't seem right. Although she is older than I, she certainly has been making a case for being younger. First, three years ago she quit smoking. That, in an of itself, is an unbelievable feat. I know many people have quit smoking, but for some people it is extremely hard. Katie had tried everything - including hypnosis - to stop, but nothing ever worked. Finally she found just the right tool to help her, and as of January, 2009, she has been smoke free. I would contend, since both our parents smoked and we were around second-hand smoke every day of our lives, that Katie had smoked nearly 59 years until she was able to stop. A+ for Katie.

She has always played a good game of golf. Since she retired, she has worked very hard on her golf game and she has participated in a number of events, winning her golf club championship several years in a row - four, maybe? She still plays better than I ever have, and I a pretty sure she could beat Don or Kenneth, if they had the nerve to play her. They don't. A+ again.

In 2010, she began dieting and lost quite a bit of weight, though she was never heavy. She decided several weeks ago to go back on a diet, and now she weighs less than she has in a number of years. That will only help her golf game and her stamina. Our mother always talked about going on a low carb diet. Once again Katie is proving Mother right - drat!

Katie is proof positive that a person doesn't have to accept that getting older means slowing down. If Katie is any indication, she will still be going strong at 90.

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