They are older than they ever thought they could possibly become. They are now called 'seniors' or 'the elders' or 'the older generation,' even 'elderly,' by the young ones around them, despite the fact that inside themselves they feel no different now than they did a year ago. Except for the telling of the years, of course. And, in the end, those make all the difference.
— Joan Chittister, The Gift of Years