My first reaction upon reaching ninety-one is surprise. How did it happen so quickly? Am I ready for it? If I am ninety-one, it means my time on this earth is racing to the finish line. Will I have the power to complete the race with a badge of courage, leaving those I love with a memory of me that will sustain them and give them strength when I am gone?
— Gloria Vanderbilt, The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son On Life, Love, and Loss
