Wise Words On Aging

[Scuba]

Sent to me by a diehard Democrat ...

As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself,
and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend.



I have seen too many dear friends leave this
world, too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes
with aging.



Whose business is it, if I choose to read, or
play, on the computer, until 4 AM, or sleep until noon? I will dance
with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 50, 60 &70's, and if I,
at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love, I will.



I will walk the beach, in a swim suit that is
stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves, with
abandon, if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet
set. They, too, will get old.



I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again,
some of life is just as well forgotten. And, I eventually remember
the important things.



Sure, over the years, my heart has been broken. How
can your heart not break, when you lose a loved one, or when a child
suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But,
broken hearts are what give us strength, and understanding, and
compassion. A heart never broken, is pristine, and sterile, and will
never know the joy of being imperfect.



I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my
hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched
into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many
have died before their hair could turn silver.



As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You
care less about what other people think. I don't question myself
anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong.



So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has
set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live
forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting
what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat
dessert every single day (if I feel like it).



MAY OUR FRIENDSHIP NEVER COME APART, ESPECIALLY WHEN
IT'S STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART!

[madokie]

1. I love getting old

It means I'm still alive to enjoy and remember

[JDPriestly]

20. It means freedom from having to please others quite so much, too.

[KoKo]

2. NICE Thoughtful THOUGHTS! n/t

's

[WinkyDink]

3. Having recently turned 63, I needed this. Thank you!!!!!!

[mimi85]

16. Me too!

I still can't figure out how the last 30 years seemed to go so fast. I remember my grandmother who passed away when she was 92 telling me that inside she still felt 17 until she looked in the mirror or tried to do something and was physically unable to do it.
I remember her in a wheelchair bursting into tears at Christmas towards the end because she didn't have gifts for us grandkids. Just having here there was a present! She was a Sears Catalog shopper and by then it had been discontinued. Sure do miss her.
Well, enough of that. When was your bday? Mine was Nov.21 - ha, I was just glad to wake up that day!

[WinkyDink]

28. November 5 for me!

[RebelOne]

17. I needed it too. In January, I will be 74.

I don't mind getting old, but I hate seeing my face age when I look in the mirror. I hate having aches and pains and my body slowing down. But I am glad to have made it this far.

[Control-Z]

4. That is positively beautiful thinking.

I am not aging gracefully or graciously. I am trying, though, and posts like yours inspire me to accept and appreciate myself a little more. Thanks.

[virgogal]

5. I'm quite old. There is no mention of the health problems. Not necessarily severe,

but constant.

No dessert any time I want because I'm pre-diabetic.(A recent diagnosis).

By the way,we don't all turn gray. My mother didn't and I didn't.

.

[a la izquierda]

25. Lucky!

My grandma went white at 25. All of us girls got that genetic gift, but I've managed to stave it off the longest (my sister blames it on the fact that I have no kids).

[Le Taz Hot]

27. I think there's something to that.

All my younger cousins (now in their 50's) turned grey long ago and they all have kids. I didn't have any children and my hair is just now starting to turn grey around the edges. It's actually lookin' pretty cool.

[RebelOne]

44. I am 74, but I will never be grey as long as Miss Clairol is still in business. n/t

[Skittles]

6. If I had known I was going to live this long

I would have taken better care of myself - Eubie Blake

[Sadiedog]

7. I admit that I really enjoy my life now as I age except that

the mornings hurt until I move and get the body going! Other than that it is wonderful.

[LeftofObama]

8. Words of Wisdom Indeed! n/t

[arely staircase]

9. i have enjoyed aging too

so this is me at middle age - and other than the need for glasses, i am in good health. my kids are gtting old enough to go on vacations and enjoy the museums and historical locations. i am digging it.

[MuseRider]

10. Other than being mad at slowing down a little

I am happily getting older. I will be 60 next year, although I do not consider that old it is older than I have ever been before

I wish I could work as much and as hard as I used to or even play that hard or as much but I am quite content to do quieter things as well.

Aches and pains from time to time. Illness that is harder to get over than before but life can be grand and as said in the OP it is a free feeling being older and I am liking it a lot.

[LibGranny]

11. Like the sentiment and I guess I'm old but don't

feel old! My hair is still dark and my bff gets mad cause I have no wrinkles! I try to walk (I prefer outside) every day from 3 to 5 miles but my observation is that once you're past a certain age, you just get rusty! It seems you will have some kind of blood disorder (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, anemia) which I think is just part of getting old but a lot depends on how you handle it! I apply to the saying, "If I'd known how much fun grandchildren are, I would have had them first"!

[Skittles]

23. the reason grandparents and grandchildren get along so well

is they a common enemy

[malz]

12. You Darn Kids!

GET OFF MY LAWN!

[PasadenaTrudy]

13. I'll be 49 next month...

I'm feeling old. I think being in perimenopause is messing with my mind...

[roguevalley]

15. I love my age. You have to love yourself and forgive yourself or life is one big

regret fest when you least expect it. I am finally free at last after a lifetime on the clock. I am happy to be my age whatever that is. Thank you for this.

[PasadenaTrudy]

34. Oh I do

No regrets, believe me! It's the hormones...

[Le Taz Hot]

29. I had the worste perimenopause

in the known universe. Ask me anything. The happiest day of my life was that, after my hysterectomy, everything was all better. Not all women need a hysterectomy, of course, but I SO did.

[PasadenaTrudy]

35. Started HRT

a few weeks ago, and I am doing better. I feel best the 12 days I'm on Progesterone. I do the Vivelle Dot all days of the month. Can't imagine not being on something right now. Glad you made it through and lived to tell!

[Stonepounder]

14. When I was young, I loved working and loved my job.

Now that I'm retired, the thought of going back to work leaves me cold. There is a time for work and a time for not working. I putter in the yard and around the house. And yes, if I want to stay up late playing computer games (or checking in one last time on DU) who cares? And if I want to sleep till noon, so what?

Yeah, I creak a little and sometimes my arthritis wakes me up in the middle of the night, just to remind me its still there. But then, so do my dogs. At least with the arthritis I don't have to get up and get dressed and put on my coat and gloves and go outside.

And its good to go do my grocery shopping in the middle of the day on a weekday and avoid the crowds. And its good to stay home on weekends and avoid the crowds too.

So yes, I like being old, just like I enjoyed being young.

[AndyTiedye]

18. You Don't Get Old as Long as You Keep Dancing

[liberal_at_heart]

19. I love it!

I'm certainly a work in progress. I'm in my late thirties and am more accepting of myself, a little more kind and forgiving to myself. I still find myself getting more worried about how I'm going to pay my bills when I know in my heart I shouldn't be so worried. I should be enjoying life more. Just today I had to remind myself to be in the moment and just enjoy the day. I had been thinking of course about money and about how early it gets dark here in the Northwest. Then I thought to myself what do you expect it's winter time dummy. Just enjoy it for what it is.

[Skittles]

24. LATE THIRTIES!!!

YOU'RE STILL A BABY!!!

[liberal_at_heart]

37. being in the sandwich generation can make you feel old

I can't afford to give my children a proper education. The insurance premiums suck all of our money down the drain. Neither my father nor my husband's parents have any retirement and his mother has a shopping addiction. It can get me down sometimes. But like I said I try to remind myself to enjoy life. I have a great marriage and my kids bring me happiness.

[Skittles]

38. I know the younger people have it tougher, l_a_h

hang in there

[Michelle Johnson]

21. Let me copy this and send it worldwide to my old friends!

I'm only 66!

I have friends in their 70's 80's who apologize to me when I pay them a visit because the tea is not ready yet, or because they didn't make their bed, or clean the carpet in their bedroom.

Life is preciious.... only `100 years more or less, (most of us MUCH less).

We don't need to spend a day without friends, family, acquaintances and strangers we would like to know more about.

So don't clean the carpet in the bedroom, don't waste time making your bed ........spend time with people you want to spend time with.

Then go to bed, and wake up and do it all over again.

[ewagner]

22. Thanks Scuba

..I take a lot of crap from young County and City staff members...but I tell them not to be so damned smug as to think the issues they are facing are brand new...they aren't...my generation has had to fight them before and we've learned a lot...don't think your solutions/answers are exactly new...we've been there, done that...

[Le Taz Hot]

26. Ain't it the truth?

The most liberating thing in a human's life is to live long enough to know that what other people think of you is no longer important. Why? Because you know yourself who you really are and, if you're lucky, maybe 1 or 2 or 3 other people know it as well and that's enough.

I never feared age and I could never understand those who do. It's the most liberating part of my 57 years.

[murray hill farm]

33. I so agree!

I love, love this old lady part of my life. I will be 72 in January and have no doubt that this is my favorite part of my life. Liberated is the best of it. I wake up every morning thinking.."I love my life".

[CrispyQ]

36. Happy upcoming birthday!

I wake up every morning thinking.."I love my life".

Thanks for your lovely post!

I have a client who turned 75 last week. She is a delight! Now that I think of it, my two favorite clients are both seniors. They have learned to go with the flow. If things don't work out right, & in computers, that is often the case, they are so mellow. "No problems! It'll all work out."

[steve2470]

30. k&r nt

[In_The_Wind]

31. I never thought I would live this long.

We're struggling but I'm glad I'm here to keep on fighting for what I believe in.
I do not bemoan the loss of friends; I celebrate their life remembering the olden days.

[mecherosegarden]

32. Thank you for sharing this!

When I chose to focus my pre-doctoral on elderly women, some of my colleges couldn't understand why I would choose to work with "such difficult people." However, as I am getting older myself, I have an understanding of what they are going through. Thank you again. Wise words!

[SWTORFanatic]

39. I am 32 so I have a long ways to go (assuming the reaper doesn't get me early)

but I had a student who was 56 the last couple semesters, very nice lady, always gave me crap about being almost as old as her kid and also tried to play on the "I'm an old lady, I can't remember, I feel bad about being old etc".

I told her hey don't feel bad about reaching any age - not everyone makes it.

[renate]

40. thank you SO much!

I'm bookmarking this thread. What a treasure it is.

to everybody who posted, with great thanks for your wisdom!

[farminator3000]

41. K&R

"I've even earned the right to be wrong. "

nice!

[davidthegnome]

42. Some times wisdom does come with age

One day I hope I have as much wisdom, integrity and joy as the person that wrote that. Learning to like myself has always been the hard part... but I'm getting there and it's only taken me twenty eight years. Maybe by thirty I'll learn to be my own friend too.

Wonderful post, thank you for sharing this.

[sanatanadharma]

43. So many changes in time memorialized memorized ...

...marking the aging around the "I AM" within the body clearly not constant.
Baby to bodacious to badly-bum and finally dumb at this age's end, I experience it all.

Your non-negate-able, self-evident-awareness is constant even as knowledge, experience, belief and nature come and go, even memories fade.
"I AM" witnesses all.