The Benefits of Embracing Aging
I had the chance to spend some time with my 96-year-old aunt earlier this week. To me, she epitomizes the concept of "aging well." Here are a few of my takeaways from our visit:
First, she's not fighting aging; nor is she under any delusions. She knows she's 96, but instead of cowering from it or complaining about it, she's embracing it. She told me not long ago that she was determined to make it to 100--just as her father (my grandfather) did. My thought is, "Why stop there?"
Second, she accepts the fact that, at least physically, she's not the person she once might have been. She no longer drives. She wears low-heeled shoes and walks with a cane. She moves more slowly than she did even just ten years ago.
Has she made these adjustments to her life happily? I don't know. Has she made them willingly? It seems so. It occurs to me that her willingness to focus on what she CAN do, rather than on what she can't, may just be her superpower.
Third, she is sharp as a tack. She stays active and engaged in what's going on around her. Politics. Current events. Sports. Her family. She remains curious, always asking people what they think, engaging them in conversation, and sharing her opinions with others. She reads, watches TV, goes to the movies, travels, and socializes with friends. She does crossword puzzles, word games, and loves playing Sudoku (just the thought of which gives me a splitting headache).
Fourth, she is filled with gratitude. She recognizes how lucky she is to have enjoyed such a long life, to have the resources necessary to avail herself of the assistance she needs as she continues to age in place, and most of all to have the opportunity to continue to grow older on her own terms.
She's no Pollyanna, though. She knows her life has not been all sunshine and roses. She's experienced the loss of two husbands (the second of which she married when she was 92!), a child, a grandchild, two siblings, and numerous other loved ones and friends--clearly, the price one pays for living a long life. And she's weathered health issues and other challenges along the way.
Perhaps my greatest takeaway from my our brief visit is that my 96-year-old aunt is a true badass. She personifies the statement, "Aging is living." In fact, we should all be so lucky to age as well as she has--whether we're fortunate enough to live that long or not.