My grandmother passed over the weekend. In a way the family isn't mourning deeply because she had been suffering the past 8 years. She was bed-ridden from numerous strokes and eventually lost the ability to move her limbs or even talk.I have fond memories of visiting her has a child to indulge in food she cooked. She married young and never worked since my grandfather provided well, so she told me her duty was to feed her children and grandchildren.
Then she had a stroke. My dad had one shortly after at a young age. His brother followed years later. I never want to suffer like they have, which is a big reason I stay so active. My dad's brother was a successful millionaire but soon after his stroke, his finances went down the drain. Heart disease is miserable.
My sister and I visited her a few years ago and found her lying down in bed crying and moaning because this was the state she'd been in. She made a huge smile for us, which was the first my aunt had seen in months. Grandma could only respond to us through blinking to yes or no questions. It was the antithesis of where I ever wanted to land myself.
While I felt deep remorse for the state she was in, it hit home to me then that maintaining an active lifestyle would be at the top of my priorities. You can accumulate wealth, possessions and notches on your career belt but their alleged powers diminish drastically once your health begins to deteriorate. It places a large burden on your family, finances, your ability to work and most importantly your well-being.
Take care of your health and (most) everything else will fall in line.
