"Good friends are like quilts!
They age with you, yet never lose their warmth."

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world, too soon; before

they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it, if I choose to read, or play on the computer, until 4 AM,

or sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the

50's, 60's & 70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love, I will.

I will walk the beach, in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body,

and will dive into the waves, with abandon, if I choose to, despite the pitying

glances from the jet set. They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten.

And, eventually, I remember the important things.

Sure, over the years, my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break,

when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's

beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength, and

understanding, and compassion. A heart never broken, is pristine, and sterile

and will never know the joy of being imperfect.