Kevin Toyama for J-Sei

Time has a way of sneaking up on us.

It's weird, I feel the same. I still read comic books. And listen to Depeche Mode. And drink beer. And I still kinda get creeped out by cartoon rabbits (thanks, Watership Down). 

But then I notice how my knees are creaky in the morning, I see a little more grey hair in the mirror, and I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how to block emoji email reactions on my phone—why are there so many settings??

As hard as it is to comprehend that I've gotten older, it's much, much harder to comprehend that my world has gotten older.

I was lucky to grow up in a big extended family, with lots of aunts and uncles who filled our houses with laughter. There were my cousins, sister, and I at the kids table, and then there were all these grownups with their distinctly wacky personalities.

What I didn't realize back then was there were really two strata of grownups: my aunts and uncles, and then my great aunts and uncles. And it wasn't until college that I noticed how my aunts and uncles increasingly took care of my great aunts and uncles: carrying packages; picking them up and dropping them off; asking "How are you doing?" as more than a generic greeting.

I'm terrible at math, but when I think about how my son is about to graduate from college, that must mean . . . oh.

My aunts and uncles, my parents, my friends' parents, even complete strangers I see around who have all lived a long, fascinating life—they were the ones helping the previous generation, and now they are that generation. And they need our help.

I support J-Sei because it provides an infrastructure to aid our seniors. It unites people who care, and organizes and amplifies our efforts beyond what we can do as individuals.

Last year, the J-Sei community worked together to provide ~35,000(!!!) meals to our seniors, primarily cooked at the J-Sei headquarters by staff and volunteers and delivered to individual homes. I've volunteered as a J-Sei lunch delivery driver, and let me tell you: the seniors are sooo appreciative, especially those who no longer can drive. 

And J-Sei does more than just help nourish bodies. It offers art and cultural classes that nourish minds, and brings these increasingly isolated seniors together to nourish spirits.

Please consider donating, and more importantly, tell any East Bay seniors you may know about J-Sei in case they can benefit from its services. We're here for them. 

While you're at it, take a few minutes to remember those older family members from your youth who you may not have thought about in a while. Need help? Here's a time machine that can take you back 40 years:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5sNoMRDuriuEHB7BrLPCaH?si=7d388c17c24542e5