First, I must say how surprised and grateful I am that I made it to 70. I thought I would be fortunate to live into my sixties. My father and his 15 siblings all died of heart related conditions, many from heart attacks before the age of 70. So, given family patterns I thought 70 would be out of my reach.
Despite having had open heart surgery two and half years ago, when they bypassed five of my clogged veins, and that earlier this year my life was saved again by having a pace maker inserted into my shoulder which connects to my heart and is 99% responsible every minute of every day for my heart beating, I am in relatively good health. On most days I walk 2 –3 miles before breakfast. I can still enjoy eating an apple with my own teeth.
However, I am getting old, and even if age is just a state of mind, I still start each morning taking an inventory of what works today and where new aches and pains are showing up.
Given the opportunity to reflect on what has come before and what lies ahead, I believe that what matters most in my life is to keep breathing, live in the moment, be loving, and to keep laughing and giving.
I’m 70-year-old Dan Kenney, still getting use to how that sounds, and this has been my perspective.
