Some parts of aging are exciting and I have looked forward to them through the decades. Even now I still actually look forward to turning 60 in October; I am not dreading it in any way. Some aspects of aging are troubling and disconcerting. Things just don’t work as well as they did, I don’t recover as quickly, hearing and eyesight are diminished, balance and flexibility are not what they once were. It is, some days, sobering, troubling, and scary. Sometimes there is nothing else to be said except that things are what they are.
I want to age gracefully, to accept the changes that happen to me which I cannot control and to still actively make change in my own life for as long as I am alive.
I have made four posts recently that in my mind are upbeat and that show people aging well and still embracing life. Not all of aging is that way.
My mother is 87. She is my hero. If you know me and if you have heard me talk you know how true this is. Just a few years ago she was still driving to the grocery store and to church. Osteoporosis has just wrecked havoc on her bones. She is crooked and twisted. She walks very tentatively; she always uses a walker or holds someone’s arm. Her hands shake. She has experienced profound hearing loss this past year; even with her hearing aids she struggles to hear conversation and often doesn’t. She has cataracts that make it challenging for her to read. Nothing about this is glamorous, light hearted, or fun. She will battle until the end because that is who she is. She is scared.
Embrace and cherish your life. Help others do the same.
It is the weekend. Please be good. Drive your cars carefully. Ride with people who drive carefully. Treat yourself with respect. Spend time with people who treat you with respect. Treat other people with respect. Talk nice to yourself; you deserve it. I look forward to hearing from you or seeing you. Keep yourself whole physically and emotionally. Enjoy your weekend.
P
