In Morocco extended families are the norm. Most people contribute time, money, childcare, senior care, what ever is needed for the family unit to run as smoothly as possible. Life moves somewhat more seamlessly from one decade to the next. I'm not romanticising it; I'm just suggesting that in extended family life, the transition between decades may not be so angst-ridden as it is for many Americans.
In just a little while my friend will slip into her next decade, the 60's, and she has very mixed feelings about it. The way she looks at it, the teens, 20's and 30's are cool. The 40's are depressing, marking the beginning of that Big Downhill Slide. The 50's are cool though, as she achieved the ineffable cache of being "a woman of a certain age".
But now, facing the big 6-0, life feels different. If this part of her life were a film, then in it she has been standing for some time on the edge of a cliff. Now without any segue, she's hanging by her fingernails.
According to Islamic tradition, many Muslims die at the age of 63, with Allah sparing them the infirmities of old age. According to the shorter, lunar Islamic calendar she's already passed 60 and is nearer to that chronological milestone (on this point we both hope that Allah goes by the calendar of the country of birth). She doesn't feel ready to face her end. As she put it, " I feel like I have to give Allah a 30-minute Powerpoint presentation of my life, and I'm still working on slide #4".
I tried to console her: just as 13 and 14 are beginner-teen years, the 60's are simply beginner-old age. She didn't appreciate my observation, though. Go figure.
The support of the extended family in Morocco eases the passage of life from one decade to the next. I pray that my being here means that when it's time for me to let go of that cliff edge, I will have a soft landing.
',,
In just a little while my friend will slip into her next decade, the 60's, and she has very mixed feelings about it. The way she looks at it, the teens, 20's and 30's are cool. The 40's are depressing, marking the beginning of that Big Downhill Slide. The 50's are cool though, as she achieved the ineffable cache of being "a woman of a certain age".
But now, facing the big 6-0, life feels different. If this part of her life were a film, then in it she has been standing for some time on the edge of a cliff. Now without any segue, she's hanging by her fingernails.
According to Islamic tradition, many Muslims die at the age of 63, with Allah sparing them the infirmities of old age. According to the shorter, lunar Islamic calendar she's already passed 60 and is nearer to that chronological milestone (on this point we both hope that Allah goes by the calendar of the country of birth). She doesn't feel ready to face her end. As she put it, " I feel like I have to give Allah a 30-minute Powerpoint presentation of my life, and I'm still working on slide #4".
I tried to console her: just as 13 and 14 are beginner-teen years, the 60's are simply beginner-old age. She didn't appreciate my observation, though. Go figure.
The support of the extended family in Morocco eases the passage of life from one decade to the next. I pray that my being here means that when it's time for me to let go of that cliff edge, I will have a soft landing.
',,
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