It’s official. Joan and I are old.

Younger people open doors for us, give up their seats on buses and subways, let us ahead of them on line.

It’s sweet, in a way. I’m not insulted. They see grey hair and they make their assumptions. At least they were properly raised. One time, I refused the offer from a younger man who obviously was coming home from work. “Stay seated, you worked all day,” I told him with a smile. He looked confused.

I’m sure it makes folks feel like they’ve done something good when they offer you their seat. That’s okay. It’s a wonderful gesture that shows respect for aging, and that’s a good thing.

I’m not sure how folks feel about older people asking for a seat. Maybe some find it annoying.

Anyway, I bring this up because it slightly altered my opinion about aging. As I’ve said countless times, I am happy to have grown older because it is a gift (and it is a gift) denied to many, especially to some of my friends who passed away at ages younger than mine. I never seem to be able to get past that one. It never makes sense to me. The joke is that “old” is 15 years older than you are now (so, for me, 90). But to pass away before then...it hurts the heart.

Cancer took a lot of my loved ones, so I donate to Stand Up To Cancer because I want the research to continue. But, sometimes, a dear one passes just because they didn’t take care of themselves........

© The Staten Island Advance