Does it matter that my beauty is fading,

that my knees ache and wrinkle when I stand up,

that I can no longer hike or ski or run?

Does it matter that my memory is fading,

that I forget how to spell a simple word,

need a calculator to balance my checkbook?

Does it matter that I have become more introverted,

often preferring my own company,

or the company of few,

to the many?

Does it matter that I have no clear vision for the future,

that I no longer have a driving ambition

to achieve or accomplish or be known?

Does it matter that I prefer silence over sound,

dreaming over being out late,

the intelligence of the garden

and animals

over people?

Does it matter that I am a different person today

than I was yesterday,

following the breadcrumbs

into my new life

one day at a time,

with only an open

heart

and mind?