She tried to understand what it meant to carry winter on your back, to hesitate over every step, to confuse words you don't hear properly, to have the impression that the rest of the world is going about in a great rush; the emptiness, frailty, fatigue, and indifference toward everything not directly related to you, even children and grandchildren, whose absence was not felt as it once had been, and whose names you had to struggle to remember. She felt tender toward their wrinkles, arthritic fingers, and poor sight. She imagined how she herself would be as an elderly and then ancient woman.
by Isabel Allende
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The character reflects on the burdens of aging, grappling with the metaphorical weight of winter on her back and the challenges it brings. She experiences a disconnection from the world, feeling out of sync while observing a world that moves swiftly around her. Her sense of self becomes tethered to her memories, where previously cherished relationships, with children and grandchildren, now seem distant and challenging to recall. This profound shift brings a mix of emptiness and fatigue, creating an emotional void that alters her perception of life.

Amidst these reflections, she feels compassion for the signs of aging in others. Their physical frailty, such as wrinkles and diminished sight, evokes tenderness in her. She contemplates her own future as she ages, envisioning the eventual progression into old age and the possible loss of connection to once-important aspects of life. This introspection reveals a deep understanding of the vulnerabilities that accompany growing older and the desire to maintain warmth and empathy for those who share this experience.

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