Author: Tara May

“You’re just getting old.” It’s a conclusion arrived at far too often and accepted far too easily. We might hear it from well-meaning doctors or humorous friends, but sometimes the loudest voice is our own. Just because we grow older doesn’t mean we have to stop living. Sometimes it means you can do something incredible. Sometimes you can make an example of yourself to show people that getting older doesn’t have to mean getting weaker, slower, lesser. Sometimes you get the opportunity to show people that getting older means getting stronger. And I’ve got the perfect example for you....

Sometimes you hear a story that makes you shake your head in wonder; a story that reminds you just how much a single person is capable of. Diana Nyad has one of those stories. She was 64 years old when she swam unassisted from Cuba to Florida. And, for me, that's not even the most impressive part of the story. I suppose the fact that she swam all that way through shark-and-jellyfish-infested waters should do it, but what really gets me is the fact that it wasn't even her first attempt. She'd tried—and failed—not once before, but four times....

I came across an article last week that got me thinking about reading. The article was featured in an online publication called the DorsetECHO, named after the county in South West England. The headline read "BBC journalist Kate [Adie] pays tribute to the bravery of adults learning to read". It's really no surprise that this article caught my attention; for those of you who know me, you'll be familiar with my motto that reading is my one addiction (besides Mexican food). I love reading, always have, and it's hard for me to imagine what it would be like not...