September 18, 2014. Western Head, N.S. It is The Age.

When Ken and I moved to Texas in 1964, my Mother and I wrote a letter to each other every week. Ken called my Mother's letters "The death letters", because someone was always dying. She was 62 when we moved and she died at age 73 so during that time period, many of her friends died and of course, she always told me who had died as I knew the people too. Always when reading my Mother's long newsy letters Ken would ask "Who died?" and of course, some one had died. And we laughed. Now I know how she felt. Even though I am older than her at 76, right now in Liverpool, three good friends are suffering from cancers. Kelly was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer ten days ago. No treatment is forthcoming. Connie had another bout of breast cancer last Spring. Her last bout of chemotherapy has ended. David last week was diagnosed with liver cancer. All three friends are younger than me. All are thin and fit. We ask ourselves "how can all this be happening in this small community?" We answer that it is our age. Most of our friends are older even though they are younger than us. All we can do is to keep our sense of humor and keep our prayers going their way. An old client told me that over the age of 80, he and his wife tried to find two new friends each year, as their friends were always dying. Now I know how they felt. Ken and I have reached that same age and I do not like it!!