Aging "Gracefully"

As I approach the age of 65, there is a surprising relief at not being invited out as much as I used to. To be sure, I'm still out at night more than most of my contemporaries. I used to be in maybe 3 nights a month; now it's 5 or six. But ths Christmas season brought it home. A friend asked over lunch one day, "So, are you going to lots of parties?" And I said, "no." And I was I was not only relieved but almost happy about that. So, on Christmas weekend, I went to a Christmas eve party where there were mostly familiar faces; the day after Christmas I went to an afternoon movie with a friend; and Christmas day I spent with my former wife, going to church, having dinner and playing Scrabble (at which I won for one of the rare times in my life). Each night, I was home before 8pm, and a good part of the rest of the evening was spent talking, or perhaps connecting with friends and family from over the years. It all felt a little like savoring a fine wine.