I’m trying …
But, all jokes aside, I am trying hard to accept these senior years gracefully but, at the age of 81, I’m finding this is not an easy task. Luckily I do not suffer from depression but I do get discouraged. I also get mad at myself for being caught in that trap so today I decided to do something about it.
I went back and reread what I had written in 2009 about a study on aging. It was conducted by two doctors who had made a five year study of 40 seniors who had arrived at the age of 100. These people were active, mentally alert, living on their own and able to care for themselves. They all came from the United States but were from widely varied economic backgrounds.
The doctors made an extensive documentation of : daily habits, lifestyles, ethnicity, weight, eating preferences, race and genetic backgrounds, as well as spiritual and religious leanings and, at the end of the five years, these two doctors did a comparative study of their findings and came up with some fascinating conclusions. They found that it mattered little what the people ate or if they were prone to exercise…although they did point out that all their participants were moderate in these areas.
The exciting thing about their study is that ALL of the 40 people had four things in common …
1. A sense of humor.
2. A positive outlook on life.
3. The ability to bear loss.
4. A total dedication to something outside of their daily life.
Isn’t that amazing? I can honestly say that I have all of those four attributes…but they do me no good if I don’t use them. This was a good reminder and I vow to get back to practicing them …starting today !
posted by Ginnie at 11:53 AM
10 Comments:
Hum, I have three of those but I have let #4 slide I fear. Probably should work on that.
I'm 65. The thing that I find most frustrating is that I am no longer the Eveready Bunny. I just can't do as much in a day! Sadly I've had no choice but to learn #3. And I can agree with the truth of #4. I volunteer in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of our regional hospital. The passion I feel about the babies and nurses is a major motivator and gives me a new purpose.
Most interesting. I not sure what number four means but I try to keep busy...:)
Great post, Ginnie... excellent guidelines and yes, I can see you in all of these.
Great advice to follow and we all need to try a bit harder.
I am surprised that exercise and diet are not contributing factors. I think you need good genes, both physically and mentally. When you look at that list, those things come naturally to some people but not others.
Thanks for the encouraging words. Slowly, I am recovering from this TKR. Much harder at age 72, but, I wouldn't want to do it at an older age. Some people have reasonably good health and a spouse whose still here. I believe those two things help. Longevity is a fact among the women in my family, so I need to practice your four 'rules.'
Some good things, Ginnie. I wish that loss didn't affect me so much. But I do have passions for things and also a sense of humor.
Ginnie--I would never say you are trying...though I do get the joke.
I would say you are an inspiration, and I love that you share ways in which you grow older gracefully. Helps point the way for someone like me, a bit more than a decade behind you.
Hello Ginnie,
Greetings and good wishes. Very inspiring post. All of us who have crossed sixty are trying our best to prolong our lives as much as possible by taking care of our health,eating habits and keeping busy doing things. Of course, some of us are spending money on tablets and medicines.
I have been keeping away from blogging for a long time and today I checked my blog and saw your comment. I have been active on face book but now I think I should start blogging again. Blogging is an exciting activity and I want to catch up with all my good friends.
Best wishes Ginnie,
Joseph
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