I feel quite certain my family is glad last week is over.

It was an incredibly busy week for me, and by the time Monday rolled around I was just bone tired.

Despite the fact I knew my crazy schedule would eventually come to a close, it still did not keep me from complaining just a bit about the hundred million things going on.

This is why I said I know my loved ones were glad to see my schedule get back to normal.

I guess it is just a law of nature that everything happens all at once, but the “more mature” I get, the harder it is to physically recover from an inexhaustible to-do-list.

In my younger days, juggling a plethora of activities might have been demanding. I just don’t quite remember ever feeling like I had been hit with a bat.

Fair chance, back then, I may have wanted to hit someone with a bat. However, though my mind was stressed, my body served me well.

Growing older has not all been gloom and doom, but it has definitely had its challenges.

Take, for instance, I used to work in my yard all day long and sometimes into the early evening; but now, I find myself frazzled after just a few hours in the heat.

I can’t clean my house for long periods of time, either, without having to take a break every so often.

I take vitamins and try to work out in the gym three days a week to improve my stamina, but I still don’t have the same amount of vigor I did when I was a younger.

For those who have led a full and active lifestyle, you probably get my drift.

It is trying to accept having to adjust to a slower pace of life.

One website suggests that as we grow older our mitochondria begin to wane.

I haven’t heard the word mitochondria since I was in biology class in high school. I guess I should have paid better attention.

Apparently, as they age, our mitochondria become less efficient at turning fuel into energy, and the number of mitochondria per cell reduces.

As a result, our bodies have to function with one-half to one-fourth the energy it had in its youth, the website stated.

Well there you go.

I can blame my mitochondria for my slow recovery.

Now that I know there is a biological theory as to why I can’t do everything I used to do, I guess I should just accept my plight.

But knowing my personality, I won’t.

No doubt I will, at some time, find myself overdoing my physical limits. Therefore, I just need to remember that my mitochondria will need a longer rest afterwards.

And for all those who might be in my radius when I am overextending myself, I apologize in advance.

It’s just my old mitochondria making me gripe.

Terri Cowart Frazier is a reporter with The Vicksburg Post. She can be reached at terri.frazier@vicksburgpost.com.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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