I’m 78, and over the past couple of years I’d pretty much stopped going to Sunday dinners as often. Stopped sitting through my grandkids’ matches. I always had an excuse to leave early or not go at all.
My family thought I was just getting older and slowing down. They didn’t want to push it.
Then one day they asked me what was going on. The truth was, sitting had become genuinely painful. My tailbone and lower back would start aching after about 20 minutes in any chair. Getting up was the worst part. I’d got to the point where I dreaded standing up after I’d been sitting for a while.
I’d quietly accepted it as part of getting older and never said a word.
I got a cushion called FlowGel. It has a cut-out where my tailbone sits, so I’m not pressing down on that spot. I got one for my recliner and one for the car.
Honestly, I didn’t expect much. But now I stay longer at dinner. Last month I sat through my grandson’s entire football match without once wanting to leave.
On the drive home I said, “I’d forgotten what it felt like to just sit somewhere and not think about it.”
I wasn’t expecting a seat cushion to make me emotional, but here we are.
If you’ve been quietly skipping things because sitting hurts, it might be worth telling someone why. 🙏
