“A life is not measured only by the years we have lived, but also by the interests we continue to nurture, the people we touch, and the memories we carry in our hearts.”
Recently, I created a special caricature of myself surrounded by six things that have brought meaning, happiness, and fulfillment to my life. Looking at the illustration, I realized that these six interests tell a story about who I am, where I came from, what I believe, and how I continue to enjoy life as I approach my 92nd birthday.
I am David B. Katague, a Filipino-American, retired scientist, husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and longtime blogger. I have lived through World War II, earned a Ph.D. in pharmaceutical chemistry, worked in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and experienced the joys and sorrows that come with a long life.
Today, I live at The Heritage Downtown, a senior living community in Walnut Creek, California. Although I live alone following the passing of my beloved wife, Macrine, I am not lonely. I still have my memories, my family, my friends, my faith, my writing, and the interests that keep my mind and spirit engaged.
Here are the six interests represented in my caricature.
1. Catholic Faith: My Spiritual Anchor
My Catholic faith has been an important part of my life. Growing older has given me more time to reflect on the blessings I have received, the challenges I have overcome, and the people who have helped me along the way.
I do not believe that a long life is necessarily an easy life. We experience disappointments, illness, separation, and the loss of people we love. My wife Macrine and I shared more than 63 years of marriage before she passed away in August 2020. Her absence remains part of my daily life, but so do the beautiful memories of our years together.
Faith helps me accept what I cannot change and appreciate what remains.
I continue to value prayer, the teachings of the Church, and the opportunity to reflect on the meaning of life. Even when I cannot attend Mass in person, I can participate in Sunday Mass online.
At my age, I am less interested in having all the answers than I am in living with gratitude, kindness, and hope.
I believe that faith is not simply about what we profess. It is also about how we treat other people.
2. Travel and the Philippines: My Roots Will Always Be Home
I was born in Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, in the Philippines. My first 26 years were spent in the country of my birth, where I grew up speaking Hiligaynon and later learned Tagalog and English.
My childhood included the difficult years of World War II. Those experiences became part of the personal history that I have carried throughout my life.
Although my education and career eventually took me to the United States, my Filipino identity never disappeared. I earned my undergraduate degree at the University of the Philippines and later traveled to Chicago to pursue my Ph.D. at the University of Illinois Medical Center.
My career brought me to different parts of America, but the Philippines remained close to my heart.
One of the most meaningful chapters of my later life was our connection to Marinduque, where Macrine and I participated in medical missions from 1999 to 2013. We also developed Chateau Du Mer, our island retreat and conference center.
Macrine often reminded me of a simple truth:
“You have not really lived if you have not touched the life of others.”
Those words continue to guide my reflections.
Today, I am proud to share Filipino history, food, traditions, and personal experiences with my readers around the world. Here at The Heritage Downtown, I am especially happy when I have an opportunity to introduce my fellow residents to Filipino culture.
My roots are in the Philippines, but my life has also been enriched by America. I am grateful to belong to both worlds. The Philippines give me roots and America give me wings.
3. Philippine Mahjong: Friendship Around the Table
Games have always been an important part of my social life.
I have played bridge since my graduate-school days in the early 1960s. Over the decades, it has become more than a card game. Bridge challenges my memory, concentration, reasoning, and ability to work with a partner.
At The Heritage Downtown, I help organize bridge games and enjoy playing with fellow residents. I am happy that, even as I approach 92, I can still sit at a bridge table and enjoy a good game.
I have also shared another favorite pastime with my community: Philippine mahjong.
Mahjong is a tile-based game with a rich history in Asia. It requires observation, memory, strategy, and a little luck. More importantly, it brings people together.
Introducing Philippine mahjong to residents has given me another opportunity to share something from my cultural background.
I enjoy seeing people learn the game, recognize the tiles, develop strategies, and laugh together when luck does not favor them.
For me, games are not merely competitions. They are opportunities for friendship and mental engagement.
Growing older does not mean we must stop learning, playing, or sharing our skills. Sometimes, all it takes is a table, a few willing participants, and the patience to teach someone something new.
4. Books and Reading: A Lifetime of Curiosity
My interest in reading and learning began long before I became a scientist.
My academic journey took me from the University of the Philippines to graduate school in Chicago. My professional career involved chemistry, pharmaceutical science, and the evaluation of drug products. Later, my work at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave me the opportunity to contribute to the review of medicines intended to help patients.
Science taught me to ask questions, examine evidence, and distinguish reliable information from unsupported claims. Retirement did not end my curiosity.
I continue to read about science, medicine, aging, technology, history, and world affairs. I am particularly interested in artificial intelligence and how it may affect humanity.
I also use AI tools to help me research ideas and develop my blog posts. As someone who began blogging in 2009, I find it remarkable that technology now allows an older person like me to continue communicating with readers across continents.
Of course, reading and writing require effort. Computers are not always as cooperative as I would like them to be, and I occasionally need help from my children.
But I continue because writing allows me to organize my thoughts, preserve memories, and share lessons from my life.
My formal education may have ended many years ago, but my education as a human being continues.
5. Cats: Small Companions, Simple Joys
There is something comforting about the companionship of animals.
At The Heritage Downtown, two cats named Batman and Robin are part of the community's everyday life. Their presence adds a little warmth and amusement to our surroundings.
Cats have a special way of making themselves at home. They can be independent, curious, playful, and completely uninterested in our schedules. Perhaps that is part of their charm.
As we grow older, we sometimes discover that happiness comes from small things rather than grand accomplishments. A friendly greeting, a shared meal, a beautiful afternoon, or watching an animal explore its surroundings can brighten an ordinary day.
My life has included academic achievements, professional responsibilities, travel, and family milestones. But some of my happiest memories are much simpler: time spent with Macrine, conversations with friends, laughter around a game table, and the companionship of those who make a place feel like home.
The cats in my caricature remind me that joy does not always need an explanation.
Sometimes, it is enough simply to enjoy the moment.
6. Tango Dancing: A Romance That Never Really Ends
Of the six interests in my caricature, tango dancing may be the most personal.
My father taught ballroom dancing, including tango, Cha-Cha, and the jitterbug, when I was growing up in the Philippines. Dancing was therefore part of my early life.
Later, Macrine and I enjoyed dancing together. At our island retreat in Marinduque, tango became one of the activities that brought us closer.
There is something beautiful about tango. Two people move together, listening to the music, responding to each other's movements, and maintaining a connection without needing many words.
In some ways, marriage is like dancing. It requires patience, communication, trust, compromise, and the willingness to adjust when one partner changes direction.
Macrine and I shared more than six decades of marriage. We experienced happy years, difficult years, professional changes, family responsibilities, and the ordinary routines that make up a life together.
Since her passing in 2020, I can no longer hold her in my arms on a dance floor. But memories of our dancing remain.
When I see tango dancers, I remember that love does not end simply because one person is no longer physically present. The music may stop, but the memories continue.
For me, tango represents more than dancing. It represents romance, companionship, and the enduring bond between two people who shared a lifetime.
What These Six Interests Have Taught Me About Aging
Looking at my caricature, I see more than six hobbies. I see six different dimensions of a life.
My Catholic faith reminds me to be grateful. My Filipino heritage reminds me of my roots.
Mahjong and bridge remind me to keep my mind active and enjoy friendship.
Books and reading remind me that learning has no expiration date.
Cats remind me to appreciate simple pleasures.
Tango reminds me that love and memories can remain with us long after circumstances change.
None of these interests can prevent aging. I know that growing older brings physical limitations, health challenges, and changes that we cannot always control. I have had to make adjustments in my daily life, and I understand that the years ahead may bring additional challenges.
But I do not believe that aging should be defined only by what we can no longer do.
It should also be defined by what we can still enjoy, what we can still learn, and what we can still share with others.
At The Heritage Downtown, I am fortunate to live among people with different backgrounds, experiences, and talents. Every resident has a story, even if that story is not always visible to others.
I hope we will continue to discover one another's interests and abilities rather than assume that growing older means becoming less useful or less interesting.
At nearly 92, I still have stories to tell. I still have questions to ask.
And I still have reasons to wake up each morning with gratitude.
A Final Reflection
My caricature may be a playful illustration, but its six little symbols represent a serious truth about my life.
I am a Filipino-American who has been blessed with education, a meaningful career, a loving family, a wonderful marriage, friendships, and opportunities to serve others.
I have experienced war and peace, professional success and personal loss, travel and homecoming, youth and old age.
I cannot return to my childhood in Iloilo, relive my years with Macrine, or repeat every adventure that has shaped my life. But I can remember, reflect, and share what those experiences have taught me.
And that is one reason I continue to blog.
My hope is that someone reading these words, whether in the Philippines, the United States, Asia, Europe, or another part of the world, will be reminded that a fulfilling life does not require extraordinary accomplishments every day.
It requires a few things we love, people we care about, an open mind, and a grateful heart.
As I approach my 92nd birthday, I remain thankful for the opportunity to continue this journey.
Mabuhay! May we all continue to find joy, purpose, friendship, and love at every age.
AI Impressions and Notes: David B. Katague is a Filipino-American blogger, retired pharmaceutical scientist, husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and lifelong learner. He has been blogging since 2009, sharing reflections on Filipino heritage, science, aging, family, faith, and the experiences that connect us as human beings.
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