75 Years old
I have spent the past 46 years of my life with a wonderful woman, Melissa. We have been married for the past 43. We are not legally married, but hope that the legislation will change in Michigan in our lifetime. We will be the oldest couple getting officially married in the group, I bet! My wife and I have 2 grown children and 5 grandchildren. They are great kids who have been raised to love freely and honestly. They live in the state and visit when they can. They are busy building their own careers and families.
I have family in the area which I see on occasion. I have always had a rocky relationship with one brother, and we are not that close to this day. My other brother lives close to me and we see each other when we can. We have always been close.
My wife and I live in our private home, where we have resided for the past 30 years. We live off of the saving we have developed over the years and our Social Security. We have both invested in 403b plans which aid us in maintaining our household needs. Both my wife and I are enrolled in Medicare. The application for Medicare was challenging without being legally married. Thankfully, we have good health despite arthritis and I have high blood pressure.
Being a lesbian has had a large impact on my life. After years of correcting people when they assume I have a husband, I have learned a good deal of patience. This experience has taught me not to assume anything. On the other hand, I have a level of defensiveness that others do not have. This has benefits and disadvantages. With the changing public attitude regarding sex becoming more liberal over the years, this has softened me a bit. I am used to fighting for my rights.
I have been a part of the lower-middle class for years. With this being the case, I have learned to be frugal. My wife has always been frugal as well. In our younger years, we went through a period where we struggled financially and were unemployed. This was a life changing experience, and I am thankful that I learned firsthand what it is like to struggle.
In the time that we were struggling financially, we learned how difficult it is to apply for medical insurance without being legally married. Taxes also posed a challenge, as the status of single made things more complex. These experiences aided me in my social work career, as I was able to understand the frustrations firsthand. Thankfully, our families are accepting and we have never had a problem being able to see each other or make decisions in medical emergencies.
My health is okay overall. I have high blood pressure and arthritis, but I take my medication. I despise taking medication, but Melissa keeps me in line and reminds me to take my medication. She has always been able to do that, and I love (and hate) that quality in her. My medication is covered by Medicare. Challenges such as taking the garbage out present a problem. The kids help us tackle these chores, although I would prefer to complete these tasks myself, but I have learned the benefit of asking for help. It is hard to give up my independence.
I do have a doctor and access to health care. In all honesty, I should go to the doctor more than I do, but this a bad habit that has never boon corrected. Medicare pays for my health care needs. My wife is also covered by Medicare. Unlike my grandmother’s generation, my generation has the working knowledge of websites that provide tools to locate information regarding healthcare. I will go to Medicare.gov to understand what services I am eligible for and hoe I may be able to pay for prescriptions that are not covered under my insurance plan if my health changes. This site provides information regarding Medicare part A,B, C and D. It also provides links to resources such as flu shot clinics (U.S. Government, 2011).
I have always been independent and stubborn. In some cases, this has proven to be an asset. In other cases, this is a liability. I still hate asking for help, but I am getting better at it. Sometimes, I try to do things that I know I should have assistance with, as my pride will not allow me to give up my freedom. This may cause future health concerns, as I may get hurt. My wife is the same way. We will have to learn to ask for help when we need it.
One personal value that has changed over the years relates to spirituality. In my younger years, I had no interest in spirituality. As I have aged and experiences things that login cannot explain, I am more open to exploring the unknown. When I was 30, I began to open myself to the spiritual world, as some events happened that I could not explain. I became more curious about he spiritual realm after that experience. I still do not believe in a particular God or Goddess, but acknowledge the existence of a higher being.
My greatest accomplishment to this day is completing my educational goals. I am proud of creating a strong family and relationships, but I would not have had the opportunities to do so without completing the academic accomplishments. One of my regrets is that I was a bit too focused on my career at times and neglected my family needs. I hope to make up for this loss by being a loving and supportive wife, mother and grandmother.
Prepare for your death by making a brief Will and final arrangements. Please include some necessary details such as a possible living trust, advanced directives and guardianships
My Will is as follows:
U.S. Government, Initials. (2011). The official u.s. government site for medicare. Retrieved from http://www.medicare.gov/Default.aspx
I have family in the area which I see on occasion. I have always had a rocky relationship with one brother, and we are not that close to this day. My other brother lives close to me and we see each other when we can. We have always been close.
My wife and I live in our private home, where we have resided for the past 30 years. We live off of the saving we have developed over the years and our Social Security. We have both invested in 403b plans which aid us in maintaining our household needs. Both my wife and I are enrolled in Medicare. The application for Medicare was challenging without being legally married. Thankfully, we have good health despite arthritis and I have high blood pressure.
Being a lesbian has had a large impact on my life. After years of correcting people when they assume I have a husband, I have learned a good deal of patience. This experience has taught me not to assume anything. On the other hand, I have a level of defensiveness that others do not have. This has benefits and disadvantages. With the changing public attitude regarding sex becoming more liberal over the years, this has softened me a bit. I am used to fighting for my rights.
I have been a part of the lower-middle class for years. With this being the case, I have learned to be frugal. My wife has always been frugal as well. In our younger years, we went through a period where we struggled financially and were unemployed. This was a life changing experience, and I am thankful that I learned firsthand what it is like to struggle.
In the time that we were struggling financially, we learned how difficult it is to apply for medical insurance without being legally married. Taxes also posed a challenge, as the status of single made things more complex. These experiences aided me in my social work career, as I was able to understand the frustrations firsthand. Thankfully, our families are accepting and we have never had a problem being able to see each other or make decisions in medical emergencies.
My health is okay overall. I have high blood pressure and arthritis, but I take my medication. I despise taking medication, but Melissa keeps me in line and reminds me to take my medication. She has always been able to do that, and I love (and hate) that quality in her. My medication is covered by Medicare. Challenges such as taking the garbage out present a problem. The kids help us tackle these chores, although I would prefer to complete these tasks myself, but I have learned the benefit of asking for help. It is hard to give up my independence.
I do have a doctor and access to health care. In all honesty, I should go to the doctor more than I do, but this a bad habit that has never boon corrected. Medicare pays for my health care needs. My wife is also covered by Medicare. Unlike my grandmother’s generation, my generation has the working knowledge of websites that provide tools to locate information regarding healthcare. I will go to Medicare.gov to understand what services I am eligible for and hoe I may be able to pay for prescriptions that are not covered under my insurance plan if my health changes. This site provides information regarding Medicare part A,B, C and D. It also provides links to resources such as flu shot clinics (U.S. Government, 2011).
I have always been independent and stubborn. In some cases, this has proven to be an asset. In other cases, this is a liability. I still hate asking for help, but I am getting better at it. Sometimes, I try to do things that I know I should have assistance with, as my pride will not allow me to give up my freedom. This may cause future health concerns, as I may get hurt. My wife is the same way. We will have to learn to ask for help when we need it.
One personal value that has changed over the years relates to spirituality. In my younger years, I had no interest in spirituality. As I have aged and experiences things that login cannot explain, I am more open to exploring the unknown. When I was 30, I began to open myself to the spiritual world, as some events happened that I could not explain. I became more curious about he spiritual realm after that experience. I still do not believe in a particular God or Goddess, but acknowledge the existence of a higher being.
My greatest accomplishment to this day is completing my educational goals. I am proud of creating a strong family and relationships, but I would not have had the opportunities to do so without completing the academic accomplishments. One of my regrets is that I was a bit too focused on my career at times and neglected my family needs. I hope to make up for this loss by being a loving and supportive wife, mother and grandmother.
Prepare for your death by making a brief Will and final arrangements. Please include some necessary details such as a possible living trust, advanced directives and guardianships
My Will is as follows:
- My house and monetary possessions will be given to my life partner, Melissa. If she is not living at the time, my house and monetary possessions will be dispersed evenly among my children.
- My life partner, Melissa, is to make all medical and financial decisions, permitted that she is in mentally capable.
- If Melissa is not mentally capable of making sound medical and financial decisions, my daughter is to make medical and financial decisions.
- Do not resuscitate, use extraordinary means or utilize tube feeding if my heart stops beating.
- I wish to be cremated. Do not hold a funeral or attach any religious services to my passing. My family is to have a get together with no official service.
- My (2) cats and dog are top go to my children or remain in the care of my life partner if she is alive and physically capable of caring for the animals. In the case where she is not alive or capable of caring for the animals, my children are to assume their care. Do not place the animals in a shelter.
U.S. Government, Initials. (2011). The official u.s. government site for medicare. Retrieved from http://www.medicare.gov/Default.aspx
