The life expectancy rates really mess up my love life. When I was younger, the life expectancy difference between men and women was 3 years. I didn't want to be a widow, so I figured one way of getting the numbers on my side would be to marry someone three years younger. Did that. Now, unfortunately, my husband should be 5 years younger than I am.

Mentioned that recently to my youngest son. He told me he guessed I'd have to go get a younger husband. Can I keep the one I have and just get another one?

According to Reuter's Health, life expectancy for Americans has risen .2 years from Dec. 2000 to Dec. 2001.

I think that's cool. Most people in my family live way longer than that. I had one grandfather die at 68 from complications from a surgery. But the other grandparents all lived into their 80s. Of my great grandparents two died in epidemics (doctor and nurse), one died of liver failure from alcoholism (age 42), one I don't know about, three lived into their 80s, the other lived into her 90s.

I guess I'll just have to hope that both my husband and I live a long life.