December 9, 2023: My Aunt’s Birthday（ボクの叔母の誕生日）

The other day, my aunt had her 96th birthday. I was surprised and happy to see her enjoy her long life. And she has lived all her life alone in a flat in Kyoto. Of course, she is not as strong as she used to be. She can no longer walk well without a stick as her legs have gone. She also needs the help of a carer. She is unable to stay alive without it. The helper comes to her once a week to cook the meals for my aunt and bathe her. Moreover, she seems to have difficulty writing something with a pen. When she tries, her hands shake, and she cannot write the way she wants to. However, she is in very good mental health. She still has a clear brain and can speak to me clearly on the phone. She understands what I tell her clearly and can respond to me. As far as I talk with her on the phone, she speaks so clearly that I cannot believe she is 96 years old. I am also very happy to hear her enjoying the photos of my grandchild. She is still mentally young enough to live alone, and I hope she will make it to 100.
I have seen the way she lives for a long time and like to live my life as she does. In other words, I want to stay at home for my entire life without going to a nursing home. As far as I have seen how she has lived, I am likely to be able to stay at home until my last moment if I follow the way she lives. In order to do so, I have to keep myself in good health. In particular, I have to improve my gait as that is the key to keeping in good health. Do stretching and walking more! That is the only way to keep in good health physically and mentally.

　先日、おばが96歳の誕生日を迎えました。おばが長生きする姿を見ると、驚くと同時に、うれしくなります。しかも、おばはずっと京都のマンションで一人暮らしをしてきました。もちろん、以前のような元気はありません。足が悪くなり、杖なしではうまく歩けなくなりました。介護が必要です。ヘルパーさんなしでは生きていけません。ヘルパーさんは、週に一度、おばの食事を作り、お風呂に入れてくれます。また、ペンで字を書けなくなったようです。書こうとしても手が震えて思うように書けないようです。
　でも、おばは、精神的にはとても元気です。頭ははっきりしていて、電話でもはっきりと話すことができます。また、ボクの言うことをちゃんと理解し、返事もできます。電話で話していると、96歳とは思えないほどはっきりと話します。ボクの孫の写真も楽しんでくれているようで、ボクもうれしいです。まだひとりで生きていけるほど、精神的には十分若いので、ぜひとも100歳まで頑張ってほしいです。　
　おばの生き方を長い間見てきて、ボクも彼女のように生きたいと思っています。老人ホームに行かずに、生涯、家にいたいと思っています。おばの生き方を見てきた限り、それに倣えば、最期の瞬間まで自宅で過ごせそうです。そのためにも、健康でいなければなりません。特に、歩き方を改善することが健康を維持する鍵です。もっとストレッチをして、もっと歩く!　これが、心身ともに健康でいるための唯一の方法です。