Just Stuff

I just have to post this "late" question from my friend Kris in PA, because when you get to be my age, you don't get too many compliments like this:

"how in the world do you stay so young and vibrant. Every once in a while you post a picture of yourself and I am always in complete awe of all you do and have been through and how amazing you look! Seriously, I want the recipe."

Ummm . . . photoshopping?! Just kidding. Seriously, Kris "young and vibrant?" I love you! My sister and I were just discussing how old we are. Our 40s just snuck up on us (and a few of us are on the downslide to the big *gulp* 5-0). It seems like just yesterday our kids were all in diapers. In answer to your question: It must be genetics, because it certainly isn't healthy eating, exercise, low stress and plenty of sleep.

Which brings to mind something I recently read in "The Anatomy of Hope" by Jerome Groopman, M.D. There was a discussion on a study of resilience in women. To quantitate the women's handling of stress, the researcher assessed changes in the amount of cortisol, establishing its baseline levels in a home setting, and then in the laboratory during experiments in which the subjects were asked to recall a negative experience. What they found was that women who were classified as "resilient" did not show a sharp rise in cortisol when a negative experience was recalled; this indicated that they would physiologically modulate their response to severe stress. In contrast to the resilient women, were those referred to as "vulnerable" and, for those women, the amount of coritsol that was released was significantly higher when compared to the resilient women. In addition, resilient women were able to more quickly extinguish a startle reflex. The study is ongoing and they hope to address how different affective styles, like resilience, may play out over life in terms of a woman's health.

I've always said that I thrive on chaos and, in spite of the extra-ordinary difficulties and out-of-controlness (is that even a word?) in my life, for the most part, I'm managing to get through it without my body falling apart on me. In the last 10 years, I've probably been sick, maybe 2 or 3 times. I'd have to guess that I fit into the resilient category, which probably accounts for why I don't look 100 years old (even though I often feel like it). So, back to my original answer ........ Genetics.

Speaking of how fast time flies - here are some fun pictures of most of our kids when they were just little ones and a picture of most of the same kids from last Christmas. (Except for my youngest brother, we all got married around the same time and had our kids at the same time).

Circa 1993

(that would be Mary in the infant carrier and Hilary in the front row with the blonde curls)

Circa 2007

Some pictures from Eric's final soccer practice/game until next Fall:





This picture makes me laugh. My niece flew in from New Jersey on Saturday and she and my sister came by the house. They weren't here 10 minutes before I caught this shot. Apparently, I'm not the only computer addict in the family!


Some Eric-isms from the last few weeks:

After he woke up one Sunday morning ~

"today is going to be another day ... just like every other day ... doing the same boring stuff like we do EVERY day."

Rolling on the floor in the morning protesting before having to get ready for school ~

"I just want school to get over with so I can get on with my life!"

Mark and Eric sitting together on the couch:

"Move, Dad . . . you're in my thinking space."


We've got a busy week with graduations -- my nephew graduates from 8th grade tomorrow and my niece from high school on Friday. It's a bittersweet time of the year. On one hand, you're glad to see your kids move on. On the other hand, you're sad to see them grow up.

Such is the circle of life . . .

Have a great week my friends!