One of my grandmothers suffers from dementia. It’s sad to watch her lose her mind and her memory. Her mind seems to live in the year when my father and uncle were little kids. She doesn’t know who I am or who her grandkids are.
Watching her has been somewhat of a lesson to me that I should be careful not to take my connection to reality for granted. It can be gone in a moment. Our grip on the world is tenuous, at best.
So I am reminded to take care of my body and mind to the best of my ability every day. Make things that are common in life easy and introduce sharp challenges that come and go. (Stress isn’t bad for you unless it’s long-term stress. Short-term stress strengthens your body or mind.)