Age took me

 

Age took me gently by the hand but I pulled away.

“No, I don’t want to go,” I said.

She smiled. “There’s nothing to fear. You will be okay.”

I held back, not fully trusting her.

“Remember the spring? You thought everything looked marvelous. So much to see and learn. You explored the world with exuberance,” she said.

“Yes, I did so much and had so much fun. I loved the spring and never wanted it to end.”

She continued, “And remember high school, your first boyfriend and your first kiss, more new friends you met and kept, Friday night dances in the gym, concerts in the park and treks to the beach in summer.”

I glowed with remembrance. “I cried when I graduated. I made so many friends. Some are still friends to this day.”

Age put her arm around my shoulders. “And then in summer you matured and took on new responsibilities as wife and mother, but never stopped learning. You loved your career as a nurse. You enjoyed watching your children grow up and make a life of their own. You taught them well.”

I leaned into her comforting arm. “Summer felt hectic at times but also filled with fun.”

She turned me to face her. “Talk about fun, the autumn brought you to a time when your responsibilities lessened and you had better finances to allow you to travel. Look at the places you been…40 states, 12 countries, 17 cruises and 26 Elderhostels where you continued to learn. You even took on a second career selling real estate."

She drew a breath and continued. "And all the dancing you did…square dancing, ballroom dancing and tap dancing, leading you to the Central Coast Follies where you danced on stage.”

I loved the autumn and wanted to stay there, but arthritis and joint replacements curtailed my activities.

Age hugged me to her. “All through these seasons, you had your share of heartache and challenges but the joy in your life overshadowed the pain. Do you remember the time you told a friend that you were glad you’re not in a relationship? When she asked why, you said, ‘I don't have the highs but I sure don’t miss those lows.”

I laughed as I remembered my friend's response. “She said, Now Mary, You’re a nurse. You know when a patient is on the heart monitor, it goes up and down. When it goes straight across, you know what that means…the patient is dead.”

“Ups and downs, that’s life,” Age said. “And the winter will be no different. You’ll continue to learn, you’ll continue to make new friends and there will be joy in your life, but also pain. 

Let it all in. Meet with open arms whatever life has in store for you and embrace it. Live the rest of your life.”

Then once again, age took me gently by the hand and I followed without hesitation.

 

 

 

 

The best medicine

 A doctor gave a 92-year-old man a physical exam. A few days later he happened to notice the man walking down the street with his arm around a gorgeous young woman and grinning from ear to ear. 

The next time he encountered the man, the doctor said, “You are really doing great, aren’t you?”

“Just doing what you said, Doc,” the man agreed. “You said, ‘Get a hot mamma and be cheerful.’”

“I didn’t say that,” replied the doctor. “I said you got a heart murmur. And be careful.”

I wonder if the advice to be cheerful may actually do him more good than to be careful. There is no shortage of self-help books and articles about taking care of yourself physically – from watching your diet to getting proper exercise. In other words, “Be careful!” But just as necessary is learning how to care for your mind and spirit. And cultivating a cheerful attitude can be an important part of the treatment.

You’re no doubt familiar with some of the research linking a healthy sense of humor, and especially laughter, to overall better health. Researchers now know that:

• Laughter reduces stress hormone levels so we feel less stressed.
• It enhances our immunity by improving our mood. Our immune system is stronger on those "up" days and we are less prone to upper respiratory infections.
• Laughter causes us to breathe more fully, bringing in more oxygen and releasing toxins.
• After a good laugh our blood pressure drops, heart rate and breathing slow down and muscle tension decreases.
• Even in stressful times, humor and good cheer help us to find joy. As you know, joy and stress just don’t mix.
• Also, they are learning that laughter increases productivity and creativity.
• It helps our muscles to relax. This natural relaxation effect not only reduces stress but it also has been shown to alleviate headaches, chronic anxiety and other stress-related problems.
• Laughter reduces pain in the chronically ill. Norman Cousins, in his book Head First: The Biology of Hope, noticed that ten minutes of belly laughter often gave him two hours of pain-free sleep.
• In fact, it is said that a good belly laugh is so good for the heart some people liken it to internal jogging.

Do you tend to focus on what is wrong with your life, or what is right? Are you known as an angry person, or are you known more for being up-beat and positive? Are you finding enough laughter and humor every day?

Sometimes I think the best sense we can make of life is a sense of humor.

--Steve Goodier