It would have been my mother’s birthday today. But she died 21 years ago so the issue is moot at best. She was almost 64 when she died from Cancer. My mother was the longest-lived in her family except for her dad who, I believe, lasted one year longer (but died thirty-eight years earlier). “The Force isn’t strong on that side of the family, Luke!”

The Force is stronger on my father’s side but, really, it seems as if late 70’s is their average and, with modern lifestyles and tubes, machines and the miracle of weird chemistry, I may be able to stretch things out til I am 80 or so. But I really tend to reflect more of my mother’s side of the family in my health patterns. And I hate tubes, machines and chemicals.

I also tend towards my father’s side of the family when it comes to lifestyle and accidents. My father was disinclined towards safety and his body was a walking litany of scars and misadventure. In fact, he walked with a slight limp.

So, frankly, I doubt that I will see 80. Even if I do that is only 16.5 years away! I am too inclined to pulling wheelies and such to be expecting a good chance at reaching 4-score, tho. I may just make the 3-score and ten that we’ve heard so much about if my mother’s gene pool influences strongly. And, if that is the case, I may have just 7 years.

Hmmm……7 to 16? Doesn’t seem like much, really. But keep a happy thought.

Sally’s dip into the gene pool yielded longer legs, so to speak. Cuter, too. The Davies go on forever. I did a little actuarial calculation and Sal is likely good till 90+ and, honestly, the way she is going today, 100+ is more likely.

And I am four years older than she is.

If you do the math, she is likely to have all of the forty years we have had together all over again. A second life, as it were.

Weird.