082 Chapter 6 Conclusion I think in lots of ways, ageing is bloody awesome. I feel so blessed to be getting old. I have more freedom, I’m not as worried about how I look. People complain and say, ‘Oh, we’re ignored’ or ‘We’re not noticed in shops’, but I quite like the anonymity. The downside? I put on weight easier. And you think about how you’re going to die. And losing friends is really hard. Like my best friend for the last 30 years, she died of small cell carcinoma three years ago. There’s a lot of grieving, looking back and thinking, I made bad decisions there and there. I think there is a pervading sadness, that you’re no longer going to be having children and babies in your arms. You’ve got the grief of events, because as you get older, there’s more and more life events that you’re having to incorporate. I thought I’d still be in a relationship, I thought I’d still be married, that surprises me. And how I feel losing my older siblings, them dying. And my older sister’s 78, and what’s the average life of a female 81, 82 at the most, and you know, you do the mathematics. —Jan, 70s