At 64, I felt something I never expected — a quiet heaviness slipping into my days.
People told me I "looked great," but inside, something wasn't right:
Mornings took longer to start
My legs felt heavier on the stairs
My mind felt slower to “click”
I’d lose my words mid-sentence
Even small chores felt bigger than they should
For months, I told myself, “It’s fine… this is just aging.”
But deep down, I knew something was changing.
One afternoon during the Christmas of 2022, my youngest granddaughter grabbed my hands and begged:
“Dance with me Grandma!”
It was our little tradition — every Christmas, the two of us danced to the same old Bing Crosby playlist in the living room.
I smiled, stood up… and something unexpected happened.
I felt my energy disappear.
My legs felt heavy.
My balance felt off.
My chest tightened.
I had to sit back down.
I laughed it off and said, “Grandma’s just resting for a minute,”
but she looked up at me with those big, honest eyes children have and asked:
“You don’t like to dance anymore Grandma… ?”
My heart dropped.
I turned my face away so she wouldn’t see the fear in my eyes.
That night, lying awake in bed, one thought kept echoing:
“If I can’t dance with my granddaughter now… what will the next 20 years look like?”
Right then and there I knew something had to change.