Aging well
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What does it mean to age well?
“It’s paradoxical that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn’t appeal to anyone.” ~Andy Rooney What does it really mean to age well? Our cultural view of aging is fraught with contradictions. It’s safe to say that each of us wants to live a good, long life — but we’d like to do so in perfect health with motivation and energy to spare. And while we’re at it, we’d prefer to erase our wrinkles and tighten those saggy chins and knees. We’d like to maintain the beauty and resilience of our youth while we earn the wisdom of our elder years.…
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Seasonal musings
I’m back — after a short break from the whirlwind of October. But I’m not complaining — because I love fall weather. My energy always runs higher when the leaves change colors and “fly” before carpeting parks and lawns everywhere. One of my October highlights was a leaf-peeping tour of northern Michigan, early in the month. After Doug and I returned, it was time to celebrate the spooky season. I managed to fit in everything from the Detroit Zoo Boo with our grandson to Witches Night Out at Leon & Lulu, where I won a costume prize for my Stevie Nicks outfit. (There’s a photo of me with my witchy…
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When things get crazy
“The world is a puzzle. There’s no need to make sense out of it.” ~Socrates Sometimes it feels as if the whole world is falling apart. If old Socrates thought his life was a puzzle, I wonder what he’d think of our lives today? The best we can do, at times, is throw our hands in the air and surrender to the chaos — without adding any more to it. Sometimes we can’t save the world or even clean out the whole garage. As any good philosopher will tell you, there are situations beyond our immediate control. But we can always take care of our own little corner of the…
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Beginnings
“Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else.” ~Fred Rogers Earlier this week I drove past a row of maples that were just beginning to show blushes of red. At that moment, the reality of summer’s end struck a melancholy chord on my heartstrings. As much as I love fall, it also signals the end of carefree summer days — and I can’t help but think of autumn as a metaphor for aging. Several people I know have lost loved ones over the past year, which only adds another somber note to my reflections. How many seasons do any of us…
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Transitions
“It is when we are in transition that we are most completely alive.” – William Bridges September is a month of transitions. A new school year begins; summer activities wind down. As the light changes and temperatures drop, we prepare our homes and gardens for winter. We begin to stock the pantry with everything we need for cool-weather comfort recipes. In my “Aging with Grace & Courage” workshop last night, a woman remarked about the bittersweet aspects of autumn. She feels a little sad when fall comes, she said, even though she appreciates the beauty of the season. I knew exactly what she meant. A reminder of our own aging,…
