Where do I see myself in ten years? Alive. I hope.
My mother died at the age I will be in ten years, as did her mother, which makes me wonder if that’s an age written in my genes. My father’s family was long-lived, so that might be a mitigating factor, but I take after my mother more than I do him, so we’ll see. Of course, life might have other plans for me, so that ten years might not be a given. Still, I have what I always have . . . today.
Oddly, we don’t seem to be able to project the view of ourselves into an aged, weakened state, so the way I truly see myself in ten years is mostly the way I am today: knees that don’t always cooperate as well as they did when I was younger, foods that don’t always agree with me, but for the most part, my body works well. My mind, too, works well (at least as well as anyone can judge their own mental workings).
I see myself still living alone, still working in my garden, still grateful for my house, and still grateful for my life.
I can only hope that I really will be as I see that self. I’m to the age where the body doesn’t recuperate as well as it once did, and so minor ills will tend to add up to an eventual fragility, but I can’t “see” that. I suppose it’s a good thing we can’t even imagine what we will feel like and what we will be like when we are very old — it would make life feel . . . frantic, maybe, as we try to fit in everything we want to do before that decline. Or perhaps it would make life feel defeating as we try to overcome thoughts of our end.
So, unless there’s a blog prompt asking me where I see myself in ten years, the overriding factor is that I can’t see myself that far in the future. I don’t even bother to try.
I’m just glad I can see myself here today.
***
Pat Bertram is the author of Grief: The Inside Story – A Guide to Surviving the Loss of a Loved One.
Bertram's Blog 
April 13, 2026 at 7:49 am
Don’t worry, this is what happens in this world. I don’t have both my parents. When I was 13, my father passed away and when I was 16, my mother passed away. Now I am 30 and I also have 2 children. I pray for your long life and that you live a long and healthy life. May you get the support of your family. Be happy.
April 13, 2026 at 4:52 pm
Thank you! And the same to you and your family.
April 13, 2026 at 10:20 am
You’ve got the right idea, Pat. Only today is guaranteed (or this moment is); even tomorrow is not. It’s normal to wonder about the future, about the conditions of our old age, but let’s imagine we’ll be healthy and wealthy and happy when we get there. That’s hard to do, isn’t it. I’m trying.
Meanwhile, I’m envious that you live alone! I love/like my husband well enough, but am much more relaxed and content when he’s not here.
April 13, 2026 at 4:54 pm
It’s took me almost ten years to get to where I am — happy to be living alone. The first years after Jeff died were excruciating. But now, it’s good for me.
April 14, 2026 at 10:33 am
It must’ve been difficult to get used to living alone and grieving at the same time. I’d love to live alone again, but hope it isn’t because of death. I wish Himself would fall in love with someone else, make it easy for me! Or do I. One thing for sure, if ever I’m single again, I won’t cohabit with another man. Nope. Nosiree.
April 14, 2026 at 10:39 am
I won’t live with anyone again. At least not by choice. I much prefer to be by myself. It’s just easier not to have to consider anyone else when making decisions and not have to defer to anyone else. I try to appreciate where I am without spending any time thinking about how I got here.
April 14, 2026 at 10:48 am
Not having to compromise about where the furniture is would be lovely! And not to have to listen to anyone ranting … although I’m soon to have a talk with my spouse about this, and tell him how it affects me, so maybe he’ll think about changing that horrible habit. Meanwhile I am trying to be happy whether the other person in the house is happy or not. I can’t let his dissatisfactions drag me down. It’s not that easy though!
April 14, 2026 at 12:13 pm
I can understand. And it isn’t easy trying to be happy when the other one isn’t. It’s the goal for everyone, I suppose.
April 13, 2026 at 10:33 am
for some reason I keep getting a notice that you are a dangerous website.
April 13, 2026 at 4:57 pm
It could be an ad that’s trying to get through, though I pay not to have ads put on my blog. I hope it stops doing that soon.
April 14, 2026 at 7:20 am
thanks for the info. short post bc hand surgery
April 14, 2026 at 8:09 am
I wondered why you disappeared. I hope all is going well.
April 14, 2026 at 5:49 pm
really hurts but doing what I can with icepacks and Ibuprofen.
April 14, 2026 at 6:40 pm
I’ve found that ice packs work best for me since pain killers don’t do much to kill my pain. I hope you find something that works and that you will heal quickly.
April 13, 2026 at 8:36 pm
Thank you