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Aging well
By Priscilla Zuber
This past year, two events occurred in my life that momentarily made me think about growing old and the aging process.
These events were our 50th wedding anniversary and my husband celebrating a healthy 80th birthday.
You will notice I said I momentarily thought about aging.
Then, Elder Services asked me to talk about my views on aging. Immediately, I thought, “Whoa, is she trying to tell me something, or what?” So, I took a moment to do a little research. I found out that I belong to a very select group, since there are now approximately 35 million people in the United States over the age of 65. That figure will double in a ten to 15 year period. So, many more of us should begin to think about the process called aging and how we will face it.
For myself, I’ve come up with a four-step formula. Very simply, it’s live, love, laugh and be happy. Let me explain it to you.
LIVE. Since we are all living, this sounds fairly easy, doesn’t it? But it’s not just the breathing part, but how we live that counts. Daily exercise of the body and mind stimulates every part of us. We must take time to play and play a lot. But, the most important part of living is to never ever stop dreaming or setting goals. Whether it is to go dog sledding, run a marathon, or just make it to the other side of the room, do it - do it now. Live life to the fullest and never stop trying.
LOVE. I remember the first line of a poem I memorized in high school. The poem was Annabel Lee. It went something like this: “We loved with a love that was more than love, I and my Annabel Lee.” I don’t care if you love Annabel Lee, Billie Lee, a sister, a brother, a dog, cat or pet rattlesnake. Love wisely and love well. Love helps you face the hard times.
LAUGH. This doesn’t mean you constantly go around with a smile on your face. After all, sadness happens in everyone’s life. We must grieve, taking as much time as we need, until we are ready to move forward to a new tomorrow. Take time to laugh at yourself. If I make mistakes with this presentation, so what? We all make mistakes. My husband says, “Show me a man who makes no mistakes and I’ll show you a man who does nothing.” That’s a good principle to live by; try not to take yourself and the world too seriously.
The fourth and final principle is: BE HAPPY. One way I feel we can achieve this is by not being an “IF ONLY” type person. What is an “if only” person? The scenario goes something like this:
“If only” the children were older, I could go to work and we’d get out of debt.
“If only” I had invested wisely, we’d be rich and our troubles would be over.
Until they finally say, “If only” I was 20 years younger I’d be able to do more.
“If only” never comes. Take the time to enjoy every moment of every day. Enjoy the simple things, the sunset, the dew on the grass or a drenching rain.
After all, it is your perspective on life and aging that makes all the difference in the world. Alphonse Kaar said: “Some people grumble because roses have thorns. I’m thankful that thorns have roses.”