Aging - Burden or Blessing

Articles and statistics often point to an ominous future for the world’s aging population.  We are told the percentage of those over 60 is increasing and the birth rate is declining. Predictions are made that economies will collapse because there won’t be enough taxpayers to support an aging population.

Twenty-first century challenges cannot be met by outdated models from the past.  Countries like Germany and some states like California and New York are examples of welfare state economies based on post World War II models. A worker labors for 30-40 years, retires and lives on his/her retirement savings and government benefits, and dies in their mid-60s. This dependency model is unsustainable with people now living into their 80s and 90s, with pensions and health benefits being paid out 20 to 30 years longer than expected.

Two internet articles about aging recommend that policies be put in place that encourage older adults to move away from dependency toward greater independence by working longer and/or volunteering more, thereby adding value to their societies. A January 26, 2018 article written by Linda P. Fried, Getting More from a Longer Life (pewtrusts.org), “Challenging the stereotypes of dependency, many older people don’t seem to want to retire, do nothing, and divorce themselves from interactions with their families and the world.”  A longer lifespan means that people should be encouraged to continue being a part of the economic fabric of society—producing meaningful work, consuming goods, and paying taxes. When not working, many older adults can provide hours of community service to their communities, churches, and synagogues. Nurturing the next generation and improving the world for our children and grandchildren can be a powerful incentive to live a longer and healthier life.

Sarah Harper in a January 26, 2018 entitled As the World Ages: When Older Populations Become the Majority asks “What happens to our workforces—as well as our communities—when healthy, active individuals are still in full employment in their ninth decade?” That lifestyle would not have been realistic for my parents’ generation but very possible for me and my children.

The mission statement for my blog is: Two Late Bloomers—an inspirational blog about discarding the stereotypes of the senior adult years. The second model of more independence discards many stereotypes. I often think about my goals and intentions during the remaining years of my life. I like to bolster my ego with statements like “I’m not getting older, I’m getting better.” There are some days that the older body tells the younger mind, “You’re getting older, period.”

 Consider the Bible verse from Psalm 90:12, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

What better goal can any of us have than that? A heart of wisdom will provide the ability to pass truth to the next generation based on our personal experiences and gleanings from God’s word.  Being a blessing and sharing those blessings with others makes our longer lives worth living.

It's Time for a Change

Jim Rohn Quote

I am a BAH HUMBUG protester of Daylight Savings Time. It will take me at least a month to adjust to government imposed jet lag. I know some of you think I am crazy because you like the extra light at the end of the day. But I miss the sun streaming through the windows and the chirping of birds in the early morning. As a result of the time change, kids in Georgia have to once again wait in the dark for school buses creating a safety issue.

OK. I am done complaining. Now I can tell you why I celebrate change most of the time.

Gibbs Gardens

Just look around. Change is everywhere. Here in the South the landscape is exploding with new life. The white Bradford Pear trees, the pink Red-Bud trees, and yellow Forsythia are putting on the earliest and prettiest display I’ve seen in years. Can you imagine how bleak things would be if the trees and flowers stayed in their dormant state—refusing to bloom and shower the air with pollen and seeds? The purpose for which they were created would no longer exist and in a year or two all plant life would be dead.

People tend to avoid change because it involves risk. And risk is something we want to avoid at all costs especially as we grow older. There are some changes I’m facing as I’ve grown older that I’m trying to embrace.

1.     My body is slowing down and more things hurt. 

When I tell others how my liver transplant changed my life, I comment that “Now I get to have the aches and pains of old age just like everyone else.” While some might see that as a curse, I see it as a blessing. One hundred years ago people died at a much younger age and if they had a terminal disease like I did, they never would have survived. How can I embrace physical changes—keep moving and not give in to my aches and pains? To help keep me active, I am in physical therapy to loosen tight muscles in my hips that have caused me a lot of discomfort. The therapy is painful but productive.  It will allow me to keep active.

2.     My brain is not as nimble. 

There are days that brain fog takes over and I struggle to complete ordinary tasks. Gone are the days when I could multi-task and do three things at once. The big project I signed on to last month, seems monumental today. My solution:  Take a day off, and let the brain and body rest. I have a friend who calls this “aggressive resting.”  It an oxymoron, but it works. One of the advantages of growing older is that I can usually set my own schedule and get back to work when my energy returns.

3.     My stuff is overwhelming and I am less disciplined.

I have to practice discipline and vigilance to keep from becoming a pack rat and clutter collector.  I am not as organized with my stuff as I used to be. The changing season is forcing me to deal with my stuff, whether I want to or not. The first day of spring is March 20 and the weather this year in Georgia is right in sync. There will be still be some nippy nights, but mostly warm days are ahead. I am trying to pare down my closet to those things that fit, look decent, and are season appropriate.  For every article of clothes I buy, I pledge to donate at least two more. Now, I need motivation to deal with office paperwork and others projects that are stacked up. Getting started is half the battle. It’s like exercise, I feel a lot better after I’ve made the effort.

4.     My spirit desires a closer relationship to my Creator.

During this Holy Week leading to Easter, I want to spend more time reflecting on the great gift of salvation provided through the death and resurrection of God’s Son, Jesus. It is so easy to let all the other demands of spring crowd out the most important event in human history. My body and circumstances may change, but “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)  Jesus never changes, but I have to constantly change so that I don’t become stagnant and useless in serving Him. The following quote by Gail Sheehy – motivates me to embrace all the changes that come my way.

“If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we aren't really living.”

Look and Feel Younger

Let’s face it, we are all growing older. We may kick and scream, but we can’t stop the process, and I am not ready quite yet for the alternative. Online articles abound with advice on how to age gracefully. Recent ones include: Remove your Eye Bags Instantly, This Trick Erases Teeth Stains, 68 Year Old Grandma Outsmarts Botox, and The Secrets to Aging Gracefully. I usually read them because I just might learn something. The one bit of advice that appears in all articles has to do with exercise. I also get unsolicited urging from my late bloomer mate who exercises in some form or fashion almost every day. He is on a three mile hike in hot weather as I write this.

Until two years ago, I participated in deep water aquatics at the YMCA. I decided to give up swimming because I was getting too many colds and infections. Then my excuse became something like this quote from an unknown author.

 "I tried exercise but found I was allergic to it - my skin flushed, my heart raced,

I got sweaty, short of breath. Very, very dangerous."

Then I read Fifteen Ways Exercise Helps You Look and Feel Younger. Who doesn’t want to relieve stress, reduce belly fat, have better sleep, and be more flexible? After checking out the options for an exercise program in my area, I finally decided to join two fitness classes at our local senior center. It was time to get out of my comfy chair and take to heart a doctor’s admonition to his patient, 

“I’m afraid pulling the handle on your recliner doesn’t count as exercise.” 

I was surprised to discover that I could get a pretty strenuous workout by using a straight chair for support while I use weights and a resistance band to stretch my legs, arms, and torso. My second class is a gentle Yoga class that helps with balance and relaxation. I can do this without injuring myself and get myself in better shape in the process.

God placed me in this body to accomplish His purposes while I am still here. I can’t do that if I am too sluggish to move and am unmotivated and lazy. I want to be able to say like the apostle Paul did in 2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”