My dentist tapped the ouchy spot to punctuate her statement: “We need to replace that crown. You’ve had it since 1999, and they usually only last 10 to 12 years.”
And I thought, Oh, good. Then this will be the last time I have to replace this crown.
Yes, I would rather face my mortality than replace this darn crown again.
My mortality is staring me down.
Turns out I don’t have to have any more Pap smears. My cervix has aged out.
I don’t have to have any more colonoscopies, either. My colon has aged out, too.
Today, I counted seven people on the obituary page who died at a younger age than I am now.
So, there’s that.
Turns out, I am not getting out of this world alive.
I remember when my 97-year-old mother-in-law refused to replace her lumpy mattress because she wouldn’t get her money’s worth. I get it.
On Sundays, when my husband was watching some sporting event or another, I used to wander around stores looking for what I might need. Steinmart. TJMaxx. Home Goods. A stroll through Walmart. A grabfest at the Dollar Store.
I’d stock up. For some forecasted need. For some indeterminate future. I admit to vibrating a little when I found something I could justify buying.
Now, this retail therapy holds no allure for me. I want nothing. I need nothing. At least nothing money can buy.
In the desk drawer, in the jar on my kitchen counter, in my nightstand, in my purse—I have enough pens and pencils in various colors and nibs and ink to last a lifetime—or at least my lifetime.
On the laundry room and coat closet door knobs, I have enough rubberbands.
Scissors—pinking shears and kitchen shears, manicure and craft scissors—I probably have a couple dozen. Plenty to cut everything needing cutting for the rest of my 
life. And given my finite lifespan, I am going to throw caution to the wind and use my seamstress scissors to clip – gasp – coupons.
In the medicine cabinet, eye drops and nose drops and cough drops, I’ve stocked up on those, enough for a lifetime. Spools and spools of dental floss I will never finish because, if I were to be honest, I never use.
Yes, it has come to me that it is time to stop worrying about the future. To stop stocking up. To start using up. Except for cards—sympathy, coping, get well, thinking of you—which I never seem to have enough of.
And it is time to start passing on keepsakes I once thought were precious, give them to younger people who are in the acquisition season of life. A person whose day is brightened by a sparkling bauble or shiny teapot or crystal candlestick, someone who won’t look at the memento and think first of insurance and tarnish and dust.
Today I will buy myself only things I will deplete in short order: a perfectly soft avocado, a perfectly yellow banana. A movie ticket. The new book by a favorite author who is aging right along with me. (It might be her last, after all.)
Because I have today. Probably an entire day. It’s a 24-hour gift.
This blogpost was inspired by my grandmother’s tea service, which I polished for the last time today and am taking to my daughter in Norway
Related Posts You May Enjoy:
I Loved My Purple Grandma
10 Things I Learned While Cleaning Out My Parents’ House
An Old Woman Remembers Teenage Longing
Downsizing: We sold our house and everything in it.
Role Reversal on a Trip With Adult Children
The Club: Motherless Daughters
You Found What in the Cake? Homage to an Indifferent Cook
Wonderful advice…embrace your life with the gift of each and every day! Thank you Sandy for sharing such a wise perspective.
I thought this abundance topic was my little secret. There are probably enough of us to have a ladies, “Thank you for Your Service” support group. You are an amazing “Every Woman” writer with a wonderful sense of humor Sandy.
I love to know when something resonates with another woman. It is wonderful to hear that we’re on the same wavelength.
I loved reading this! You have such wonderful insight and a delightful sense of humor.
So true! My new rule is if I have to dust it I do not want it.
I am trying to get rid of “stuff”. I do not want my kids to clean out my house and say, “I knew Mom was crazy”.
Sandy, I always look forward to your words of wisdom. I LOVED this beautiful piece of writing. Thanks for sharing your writing.
If I had your writing talent, I could have written this. Did you peek inside my head? Great article 👍🏻
Wonderful. As always, a complete pleasure to read your work! Thank you Sandy!
Thank you so much! It means a lot to me.
Yes, I have found myself doing the same! After all, my joy NOW comes from seeing that painting on HER wall. Watching my granddaughter squeal with delight when I give her my glue gun.
Sandy,
HEAR HEAR!!!!!!!!!
I also have plenty of stuff to give away, but my kids all have four legs?!?!?!
Love your writing, Sandy!!!!!!
❤️❤️❤️
Another winner. Sandy! I love the way you write and the wisdom you share. ❤️
Beautifully written💗 Love this and you dear friend.
Nailed it Lingo!! Just this morning I was thinking “ “wow life is starting to feel finite.“ nothing left to do but experience: kids, Grand kids, friends, relatives, spend time, not money on stuff.
I can relate to this. Why do I have 5 sets of dishes? I feel inundated with things. I have given furniture to one daughter. Tom’s afraid I’m going to throw him out in one of my pitching moments. I told him to walk fast.
I love this. It is a useful insight to choices i am making now in my 60’s, and it goes on from here.
I think you just retired, right? Now you’ll have time to shed! Thanks for reading.
Thanks for your insight. I enjoyed.
Thank you, as always, for reading, and for taking time to let me know.
On thing there’ll never be enough is YOU! So agree with this approach for many reasons AND because our planet is also saying ENOUGH! Laughed out loud about the seamstress scissors. I have my Grandmother’s sewing scissors in my desk drawer and when I use it to cut paper I can hear her scolding!
No! Cutting paper with your SEAMSTRESS SCISSORS? I just threw up a little in my mouth.
You nailed it again, as always!! I love reading your blogs! ox
Wonder what you’ll do in your retirement! Downsize?
Yep, I get it. I’m right there with you – or maybe even a little ahead of you, but at our age, this is not a competition. We downsized for the last time and it feels so liberating.
Doesn’t it feel terrific? Just don’t even want to expend the effort shopping for stuff, much less dusting/storing/storing.
So true, so true…..I think that as we age we experience a “sadness” for the things we know we can no longer do or experience. No more horse back riding, no more children to bring into the world, no 14 hour car trips without stopping….on and on….I spoke with my 92 year old Aunt this week who never married and never had children but lived her whole life with her mother (my grandma) until she died. She is the caretaker of so many precious keepsakes…cut crystal and linens and the furniture pieces that I grew up with….but we spoke about how the young people today have little appreciation for those things and we don’t know where they will go when she passes….I love those special pieces and try to use what I do have from my mom and some things as well from my Aunt…but I am facing 70 in a few short years and I am cleaning out all the time in order to have choices in what I have left of life. Sad. Happiness however is no more paps, mammograms or colonoscopies!! And every day that I wake up to kiss my husband and children and have my grandson’s little arms around my neck is a blessing…
I totally relate to everything you’ve written. Thanks so much for writing and letting know how my blogposts land with you.
Another great blog, humorous yet thought-provoking as always. Thank you Sandy, for helping us face the next shift in how we look at the future.
Sandy –
I love your witty truths and the cadence of your insightful writing. I could read 300 pages of your writing and not be satiated. That said, I noticed you looked different in your last photo with your new granddaughter and now this post about finite aspects of this life. Checking in and asking the obvious question – has something new causing you to think about your mortality differently?
I love reading your blogs and hearing your talks, Sandy. You so accurately write about the feelings of older women as well as those as young as you are. I turned 90 last year and have been encouraged by my children to ‘downsize’ our household belongings. I’ve started, but find myself putting almost everything back where I picked it up since I might need it some day. You are so young and attractive and I look forward to seeing you, hearing you, and reading your blogs for years to come.
I was so thrilled to see you in the audience at the Women’s Club. I can’t believe you are 90. You are beautiful. I have always admired your intellect and curiosity. Thank you so much for your kind words.
Wow, do I ever resonate with this!! Unfortunately, for me, you are many steps ahead of me by downsizing to an apartment many years ago!
BTW, I have changed email addresses and am listing my new one below. Hopefully your next blog entry will come directly to my new inbox.
So great to see your name pop up. Hope you are well. I have updated your subscription, so you should continue to get notifications. Look forward to hearing from you again. Thanks for reading.