When my mother-in-law, Bubbie, died, I said to Bill, “Bubbie was such a big part of your life. I’m surprised you don’t talk about her more.” Bubbie was my best friend,” he replied,“but nothing was left unsaid or undone.” I thought to myself, “How lucky he is. When itcomes to people we love, how many of us have no regrets?

Most of us are “damaged and repaired” by the time we are old. Even though we’ve grown resilient, added pressure — from moving, illness, loss of loved ones, and more — can break us. Being vulnerable is being human.

I seem to have crossed an age thresh hold after which actions that were laughed at when younger are now taken seriously. When there is a mental hiccup now, it’s a source of worry. At 72, I know memory changes have been occurring for 20 years, so while I’m still me, I’m also not who I used to be.

I met a woman my age. She had tried to adopt a 3-year-old dog from a rescue organization and was turned down. There was too much risk that the dog would outlive her, they explained — better she adopt a senior dog. What, the dog would be better with young or middle-aged folks who worked full time? I bet that young shelter dog was willing to take the risk.

When helping my aunt downsize, she said she might wear her pants suits in the future. I couldn’t remind her that the pants could not accommodate the disposable underwear she now wore.

How old are we when we let go of anger toward our parents, realizing that they did the best they could? How old are we when we forgive ourselves for behavior toward our children that we regret?

We are so tempted to avoid people who have experienced a loss or received a bad diagnosis, because we feel uncomfortable or don’t know what to say.

Less than 1/3 of us with hearing loss use hearing aids, often because we believe they mark the user as old. Hearing loss contributes to isolation, depression and cognitive impairment. If you plan to thrive as you age, embrace hearing aids.

Plan B gets a bad wrap, and Plan A is often overrated. Plan B is often a good option, and in retrospect, the better choice. Don’t get stuck on Plan A.