Last fast?

Last night, after breaking my Tisha B'Av fast, I joined A Mitzvah to Eat Community Group. Tisha B'Av is only manageable for me because I can observe the entire fast in the comfort of my air-conditioned apartment, attending services and classes online, and resting whenever I need to do so. But fasting in synagogue, as I would on Yom Kippur, might aggravate my balance problems because I wouldn't be able to rest when necessary. Given that I've already broken both wrists and injured both knees by falling, I simply can't continue to take chances at my age (73). Once upon a time, I was an avid Israeli folk-dancer, but I think my dancin' days are done. As an old friend of mine said recently, "I don't mind growing old, but the side effects are killing me."

 

This is a true story, and a cautionary tale:

In 2019, one of our senior co-congregants decided to fast on Yom Kippur despite being in very poor health. He got through the fast, but fell in the men's room and hit his head. The ambulance folks carried him out on a stretcher, taking him to the hospital for stitches. He went from there to a rehabilitation facility. His wife died while he was there, so the only thing we know is that he's not in that facility anymore. We have no idea whether he's in a seniors' residence or is deceased. I have no intention of following his dubious example and being a martyr to fasting, and my 80-year-old husband intends to decide on the spot whether he'll continue to fast or whether he's too dizzy.