Monday June 5 2017  CELEBRATE AGING

You may have heard the old adage, “Age is just a state of mind”.  Well, if there is an old adage that states such, I am here to say that I both agree and disagree!  My belief is that to a great extent how each one of us age is dependent upon the one who owns the body and mind. 

Take me for instance.  Since I don’t really know the private thoughts of others I will speculate on the above premise from my point of view. Personally, I believe that as we age, and how we age, depend upon the attitude we decide to take forward.  And before I make anymore comments I would like to stipulate that the comments I state henceforth are not absolutes.  There are so many personal factors involved for each person as well as some that are universal.  For example, some careers age people quicker than others.  Lack of exercise can do the same.  Excessive abuse of drugs, alcohol, sugar, or other unhealthy lifestyles can also have ill effects later in life which may cause some to decline or age prematurely.  Terminal illness, heart conditions and congenital malady may also change attitude, hope and the physical aspects of how we age.  Even spiritual belief or lack of belief might affect one’s attitude or how they treat their bodies: which in turn has an effect on what we can do, can’t do, or what we choose to do or not do.  So, as you can decipher, how we age is determined on several aspects; our body, mind, spirit, self care, genetics, and attitude.  

I had a friend who died a couple of years ago who was close to 100 years of age.  Dave and I often invited him and his wife to do things with us instead of staying home.  He felt physically unable to go out and I think his wife didn’t want to take the effort it took to create the persona of who she wanted to portray at 70.  She stayed at home, watched TV (as they both did), ate their takeout food and visited with us when we came over.  I’ll never forget the words my friend told me one day when he was about 70 years old when we were encouraging them to join us for an event coming up in the future.  To the best of my recollection these are the words he spoke to me, “Kathleen, there was a time I could have gone out when I was younger but I always felt like I was too tired or it took too much effort, or I just didn’t want to go, so I stayed home and missed so much of life.  Now I am physically unable to do what I could have done years ago when I was younger, yet didn’t take the opportunity to do so at that time.  It is my greatest regret that I did not take the opportunity to do things when I was able to do them.”

This friend was a longtime airline employee and when he retired he received free standby flights for him and his wife for their lifetime.  He never took the opportunity to use that awesome benefit and he regretted it immensely.  He lived another 28 years after that advice was given to me.  I have never forgotten it.  I use this story as an example of attitude in the aging process.  At one time he was hampered by his choices and self limitations.  Later in life he was hampered by such a great accumulation of birthdays that his body decided it was unable to get up and go.  So, from the time he was 40 years old until almost 100 years old his attitude robbed him of living life to his fullest.  And no one felt that regret more deeply than he did.

So yes, I suppose attitude is a great factor but not the only one.  As for me, I want to live my life to the fullest each day that I can.  Are some days more difficult than others, yes, but I always have the hope that some days are also better than others.  There seems to be a new “flavor” of pain each morning in some new place in my body, and for the life of me I can’t figure out why this or that place is hurting for no apparent reason.  But, I choose to go on.  I am alive and I have choices to make!  I have desires to fulfill and dreams to live out.  I have deadlines to reach, projects to finish, and foods I haven’t yet cooked.  I have trips to take, mountains to climb, adventures to explore, songs to hear, poems to write, and grandchildren to love.  As long as I have the ability to make decisions I choose to praise the Lord and give thanks for what I have and what I can do!  That is my attitude.  I choose to exercise so I can keep myself moving, I choose to eat healthy so I don’t need to carry any excess me around, I choose to love others and do whatever I can to help those who are hurting, sick, or impoverished.  I choose to treat my husband like a king and my grandchildren like royal princes.  I will tell my grandsons about the love and mercy of Almighty God: and I will continue to say “I LOVE YOU” to my children every chance I get. 

But someday, be it tomorrow or 30 years from now, my accumulation of birthdays will end.  And if I live many more years I may no longer have choices to make in regards to what my body can and can’t do.  But, even when my body is depleted and I can no longer do for myself, I hope to always have an attitude of awe and wonder at the awesomeness of God.  With the joy of the Lord in my heart, perhaps some of the growing pains of old age will not seem quite so bad.

 

 

CELEBRATE AGING

Kathleen Martens

June 5, 2017

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

Old age is but a journey

Going backwards to a destination.

So perhaps such a topic

Is worth investigation.

 

From womb to grave

It is a personal venture,

And choosing a positive attitude

Makes for a great adventure!

 

If only in our early life

We had wisdom of the old,

But perhaps not the best thing

For it would change our stories told.

 

And part of the excitement

Is what we learn along the way!

If we knew the old age adage

We might forget that we should play.

 

As babies we begin and may end the same

If long years are granted us.

So, at this time in my life

Old age I choose to discuss.

 

Each day I live I choose to cherish,

Each hour is open latitude.

I hope to never become complacent

Or exhibit a despairing platitude.

 

From cradle to grave

My days are numbered.

I’ll not allow a negative mind-set

My outlook to encumber! 

 

 

Thank You God for a peaceful spirit as I age.

Thank You God that I have lived so many years.

Thank You God that my time with you grows closer each day.

 

GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS YOU!