Diane, 76

What is it like to be 76? “That’s a funny question. There are some days it really feels old and everything is finished, and then there are some days, like this week, that are so full that I don’t have time to think about who I am and what I am. Everyday is another opportunity. There’s a freedom to be who I want to be. Everyday is valuable because you don’t know if you’re going to get another one. And that’s really what life becomes. There’s no question of putting off until tomorrow. If I have the resources and I have the security, then I don’t put off. If I want to do it, I do it—as long as I can persuade my husband. But when I was much younger, I had priorities and if I wanted to do something for myself, I had to wait. No more. And that’s freeing. It’s really very freeing. And I’m lucky I have my health. So I don’t feel hampered, physically, the way some people do at this age. And then there are days when I‘m on the train or the bus and a young person sitting in front of me on a seat will stand up and offer me their seat, and I know I’m old because I’ll take it.”