Iʻm sorry, but did you actually say that you are now 65 and then, a bit later, refer to being “in old age”? My dear young woman, have you not yet been told that 70 is the new 50?

Okay, as a single parent of one, I can fully understand that you may be both physically and mentally exhausted after raising eight. And I certainly agree that the early childhood years and the teen years are two completely different universes. Having made it through both, I now believe that my ideal shared custody arrangement goes like this: “Give me the little one for the first 12 years. After that, he or she is all yours … but if either law school or med school is in the works, I would appreciate an invitation to the graduation ceremony!”

Seriously, raising eight children is an achievement. As a retiree in his seventies, I can testify that the process of (and attitude toward) aging has changed dramatically since I watched my grandparents sit in matching rocking chairs on the front porch, watching life pass by. I can honestly say that these are the best and most enjoyable years of my life. And I hope that the same is true for you.