Counting what I can do and what remains

A morning phone call with my mother.
"How are you feeling today?"
I ask.

"Well, you see..."

There is a brief pause.
On days like this, it is certain that something has happened to my mother.

"What's wrong?"

"My legs were hurting, so I couldn't sleep last night. I ended up plastering Salonpas all over them. Thanks to that, I feel a bit better this morning."
"Even if I haven't fallen or bumped into anything, as you get older, all sorts of places start to ache."
"I can walk around the house with my cane, so I'm fine."

As she said this, my mother continued.

"At this age, there's no point in counting the things I can't do. I try to count the things I can still do."

Having passed my mid-sixties, I agree with that.
My lower back hurts, my memory is getting worse, I tire easily, and the number of things I can't do is increasing; if I started worrying about it, I would be worrying forever.
If I only focused on that, I wouldn't be able to go on living.

Then, at the end of the call, my mother also said this.
"I am grateful to my parents for letting me live this long."

I feel the same way.

Now, I too have nothing but gratitude for my parents.
Looking back on my life since birth, and considering that I am able to spend every day normally now, I have nothing but gratitude for my parents.

When hanging up the phone,
"I'm truly glad I was born as your child. That's what I think."
That is what my mother said.

Compared to before, she has become a little more restricted, but she is still able to live alone.
While being grateful to her parents (my grandparents), she spends every day with a peaceful heart.

Watching my mother's way of life and her way of thinking, I think about what a small person I am, fretting over trivial things and getting angry.

As you get older,
the things you can't do increase.
The things you lose increase.
That is something that cannot be helped.

Instead of chasing after what has been lost,
turn your eyes back to what you can do and what remains.
Isn't that a more positive way to live?
And don't forget to be grateful to the people around you.

I am still learning the secret to living a cheerful life from my 96-year-old mother.