The Spell We Cast

It’s been a rough—and bitterly cold—three days. Then I found myself watching my 86-year-old mother, who, for all intents and purposes, seems to have given up on life.

Everything is too hard. I keep hearing, “I can’t do that anymore.”

Life is a word game, and once you say those words, the spell is cast.

I look at Mum and wonder: where was the tipping point? When did she begin to believe she could no longer do the things she once did?

I realise that, for some of us, once that decision has been made, that’s it. And I can’t help imagining that if she had been an athlete—if she had spent a lifetime believing in the strength and possibility of her body—perhaps she would still feel capable of everything from lifting something heavy to going for a run.

As for me, I’ve stopped saying those words.

I’m excited about my future. It’s not over yet.

Not by a long shot.