Precerpt from Grandma's Ninja Training Diary - Alive, Kicking, and Slightly Offended (But Only Slightly)
Today’s mission: accompany my daughter to a new doctor’s appointment. I sat quietly, letting her self-advocate—because that’s what strong women do. I chimed in here and there with family history, but mostly, I was the silent sentinel beside her. Then came the intake question: “Is your mother still alive?” Excuse me? I look dead?? Was I too serene? Did my quiet presence read as ghostly? Did I seem soporific? My daughter laughed. “She’s sitting right here beside me.” The assistant turned crimson. I straightened up, punched the air, and offered to do jumping jacks to prove my vitality. She stammered, “I’m so sorry—I thought you were sisters.” Well then. Grandma Ninja: 75. Daughter: 49. Apparently, we’re aging in formation. Message of the day: Let your daughters speak. Let your silence speak. And when needed—let your vitality kick . Also: work out. At any age. Dick Van Dyke is 100 and still works out at the gym three times a week. If he can do it, so can Grandma N...