TIRED OF ANTI-AGING STRATEGIES-MAYBE BE HAPPY TO BE ALIVE AND ABLE TO AGE

 Yes I use moisturizers on my skin. I know that with aging hydration is necessary.

I try to exercise more. Stretch. Weights. Walking. All good.

Eat well. Lots of veggies more than fruit.

But is aging a dirty word.

Is youth wasted on the young?

At age 73 I am still ticking well enough. Some minor ailments but okay.

So should we be happy to be alive and able to age?

I would rather be here and part of life. With family and friends and interests life is good. 

I do not need razzle dazzle. But enough to keep me going.

So aging not quite with grace as I really do not know what that means.

So we are bombarded with anti-aging products, ideas and thoughts. 

But is aging a dirty word? I ask again. 

I like to be part of my grandchildren's lives. I like to know new songs, movies and ideas. 

I like the fact I can keep learning. Reading. Writing. I even registered for another online course. And I will do the tests and assignments. Yikes at my age. A challenge.

Maybe some local travel or maybe a trip somewhere!! 2023 is still young. 

The opposite of anti-aging is death. Die young and beautiful. Or age and live.

I chose the latter. How about you?

#antiagingstuff#agewithgrace#isagingaterriblething#beingpartoflife#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro#happytobealiveandaging

SHOULD SENIORS ACT THEIR AGE?

Interesting question. So what does it mean. For me, safety, safety, safety at any age. Young people break bones. Old people break bones. Sometimes just an accident but sometimes could have been prevented. Helmets, arm and shin pads and whatever safety equipment is needed. For example, whether you know how to swim or not, wear a life jacket in a boat! Role model for the children in our lives! As a senior, everything is older no matter how fit one is. So to avoid unnecessary surgeries is good. If a bone is not broken, then no surgery. The complications of any surgery can send a fit person over the age! The heart does not need the strain of the surgery too! Can not live in a bubble but can be aware of the environment and what can be done safely. Feeling young forever is good. But knowing the limitations to enjoy a good life is common sense. A quality life. Accepting as we all age, things change. Adjusting to those changes well brings the quality. Being a Senior is not a dirty word. As we all know there are Seniors' benefits!
#seniors#aging#safety#accident#commonsense

LIVING WITH CHRONIC HEALTH ISSUES

Aging brings life. But it can also bring chronic health issues. An overactive bladder. Breathing issues. Pain in joints that make walking long distances hard. Diabetes. Hypertension. Pills, testing and keeping well enough. Staying close to home can solve the problem but it is not much fun. Learning to manage the issues and get away for day jaunts, overnight or even longer trips takes planning. Many people do not want to look old. Won't wear a hearing aid. Drive when no longer safe to be driving. Sure don't drink and drive but are all the medications safe for many people. Learning to use a bus, a taxi or walk short distances can be simple solutions. Oh I hear from some that taking a bus is beneath them. In the GTA, the subway is a great way to get around the city core. Now there are more elevators in stations for those who have trouble with stairs. For those who can not walk long distances, most urban areas have mobility buses that come door to door for the price of a bus ticket. Living with the issues starts with a mind set. Recognizing that some tasks may take longer- so what if retired, you have time. Sharing the load with healthier individuals. Learning not to do activities alone. Having someone spot you. For example, when I wash the curtains, Adolph is behind me when I am on my little ladder hanging them back up. Five minutes of safety! Drive through fast food places are great too. My parents in their last years of living in their home would use the one at the Dairy Queen for their banana splits then go to a local park to eat them. A little jaunt. So more thought will be given to this issues. Aging creeps up on all of us so embrace it and live well! What are some of your solutions to change? What equipment do you use? What changes have you made to your home or surroundings?
#aging#chronichealthissues#mobilitybus#hearingaids

IS THERE A CURE FOR AGING?

I read an interesting website yesterday seeing what some anti-aging doctors do. Bascially, botox, hormonal stuff, different eating etc. More the outside and how to look young or younger! Interesting! I believe that my simple tricks won't help me not to age but may help me feel better as I age. A good healthy balanced diet! A few calcium and vitamin D tablets daily! Exercise whenever I can which includes doing my own housework and gardening.Walking is easy! Activities for my mind with puzzles, math in my head and even those fun Sudokos.Of course, reading, reading reading- the newspaper, books, the internet, reports! Social events-work, family, outings. Limiting alcohol consumption! Entertainment-music, tv and going to the occasional movie! Personal interests and hobbies! Don't walk in front of a bus! Sometimes there seems to be a split between those who are cosmetic surgery consumed and those who live with the aging face and body. We can not defy death nor the fact the body ages along with the mind! Why does everyone want to look younger than their age? If you child is 35, you can not look 35 as it would seem ridculous! I believe in living to the fullest and what one is capable of doing at any age. Trying new activities does bring stimulation to everyone! Not to stop living as we age is another important trick or just a strategy! So is there a cure for aging? If you find one, let me know-I'll try to fit it in my busy schedule!

IS VANITY A SIN?

Or just human nature? Do we care more about our looks than our health? With critical health decisions such as breast cancer, some women opt for the saving of the breast with a lumpectomy or minimal surgery rather than a full mastectomy that may save problems down the road. Not everyone thinks Angeline Jolie did the right thing-she was being preventative, chosing longevity. The new ostomy-- the bag that rests the colon and often gives life is not necessarily welcomed as a life saver. Yes critical health issues can be devastating but the surgical interventions give life! For some it is not good enough as the appearance has changed. The elderly person refusing to wear a hearing aid as it would make him/her look old!! Consider the number of very young women using botox and getting their lids done- cosmetic surgery has skyrocketed. In some cultures, a nose job is a must- heaven forbid anyone has a natural nose. Vanity- where does it come from and where does it start! So I have wrinkles and my hands look like hands of an aging person. Yes I like to dress nicely but life brings changes and one of these changes is the body! Would I be so vane to change looks over a life saving procedure? Would you? Would your life be over if you had to face such a decision? Who is really looking at you? If a man whistles at a woman, he has probably whistled at several others during the day. Your loved one should love you for more than your looks. If you are just a trophy wife or a trophy husband than it is just vanity. Has vanity caused more problems than it is worth? Can we be a little vane and still be sane? For some like I feel, vanity is put aside for other factors such as good health, feeling loved, creativity, and just the joy of having an ordinary life! However, it can be difficult to be around vane people day in and day out. Is it fair for me to label them vane? It helps as it allows me to distance myself from those qualities. I can accept the person as he/she is without needing to judge. I make the decision to feel good about myself even with gravity affecting my parts. Otherwise, I can be the wise woman- knowing aging is better than the alternative! There is still so much to do and to love in life! Vanity-an interesting word and concept! But is it a sin or just human nature- look at Helen of Troy or Cleopatra!

GIVE WITH A WARM HAND

Not a cold one! A work mate tells me this is her mother's saying. Rather than reading the Will and this is what you will inherit, her mother has decided to help her daughter in the living. She can enjoy seeing her child use some money for things she needs. A cousin transferred a cottage to his children so he could see them enjoy it as well as continue using it if needed. My mother-in-law liked to give money when her granddaughters were taking a big trip somewhere . If my children say it's too much, I just tell them I took it out of the Estate! It is important to let the family in your life make their own way. Every aging parent does need a certain amount for their old age. However, I witness people hoarding whatever they have and threaten adult children with the Will- if you are not good to me, I will cut you out of it! I recall a book written that stated to die broke! Use up your resources in the living so you have enough to last for your needs but why have tremendous investments left if they were only for you! If you want your children and grandchildren to have them- well why are you waiting? Balancing the finances does take creativity sometimes. If we only knew how long we would live, then we could adjust accordingly! I also witness Elder Abuse in my work. Adult children refusing to use their parents' financial resources on their needs stating their folks have no money for things like private care or equipment. They are more concerned about losing a piece of the pie! So educating people to use their own investments and money for their needs as well as sharing what they chose to share in the living could reduce some of this exisiting abuse. Yes, it does go on more than you think! A parent assigns a child to be Power of Attorney to manage his/her money not to steal it! Most children are very respectful and do a great job! However, there are a certain percentage that don't! Some parents assign two Powers of Attorney as a double blind! Keeps everyone honest! So balancing what we need and sharing what we have as we age takes research and talking with our children! I like the warm hand, don't you?

THE SUPPORT TEAM

In every workplace, family, home there needs to be a support team to help get the job done. Doing your own job then some- makes for a fuller life. Taking the time to look around you to determine if someone needs a helping hand. Being the one that usually does not say no but knows when to say no allows others to know they have someone to use as backup. At work the social workers cover for each other when they are away. At home as a couple, we are a solid team helping each other with chores and errands. In the family system, dinners and babysitting help out the modern stressed parents in our lives. As I look down the road, I will be the one someday that will need to use the support team. Aging will bring slowing down, needing a ride and even help with the normal activities of daily life. But not today! Lots of energy to give a cheer and to get going with the tasks at hand! How about you? Do you support the people around you in positive ways? Are you happy to know you are needed?

TURBINES CAN HELP WITH AGING

Our energy come from many sources.

A country drive reveals the old hydro pole with wires adjacent to the new turbines that resemble windmills.

A modern farm with its own source of power makes country living even more enjoyable. No need to worry about power outages in bad weather. Like a person with a pacemaker!
Perhaps as we age we can think of new energy sources for us. Sometimes I feel like the old hydro pole worried my wires are going to come down! What would my modern turbine be? Do you try to find new ways to vitalize your energy? Or just ways to conserve it?

WRITING A LIMERICK

The limerick has a five line rhythm. First two lines and fifth rhyme. While the 3rd and 4th rhyme.

Aging
At each turning in life a stage,
It's hard for everyone to age.
A smile with a crinkle
Becomes a wrinkle.
Showing our wisdom as a sage!

I think limericks can be fun. Tests our ability to rhyme words. They are fun at weddings, parties and special speeches. They do not have to be serious. Whimsical! Why don't you try one?

SUNSET-TIME TO REFLECT

A sunset brings an end to the light of day. There is always time after dark to continue to enjoy before bedtime. I love sunsets. Ordinary ones from my house, some sitting on beaches in faraway places or in crowded cities where glimpses can be seen between buildings. The sky aglow with colour. As we age, sunset often refers to the sunset of our life. Are we colourful? Does anyone stop to view us as beautiful or knowledgeable? A sunset can be romantic. Sitting with someone you love, watching the sun go down can be a memorable time. When you look at the picture, what do you see? Can you hear the water lapping against the shore? Do the clouds indicate rain or is it just overcast? Would you like a ride on the boat in the water? Do you wish you were sitting on a chair watching the sun go down on a summer's night? I know I do.

TIME

Everyone has 24 hours in a day. How often do we hear- I do not have enough time! Some people just get more done in a day but often hear from others- I would do that if only I had the time. Time flies when you're having fun! Time definitely does not fly when sitting in a dentist's chair for a cleaning! The game was saved in the nick of time! Yes just before the clock ran out! Jim Croce's Time in a Bottle song was somewhat ironic due to his untimely death. Time marches on! That movie, book, event was a waste of time! How many times do I have to tell you not to do that is a favourite line of every mother! Where did the time go when we speak about aging! Time heals all wounds- usually if you have good stitches and remember to clean the wound! Time to get up! Time to go to bed! Time to eat lunch! Work's over- time to go home. That party- wasn't it a good time! Come by any time! Oh it's late, time to finish! By the way do you know what time it is? My husband always says- it's howdie dowdie time! A moment in time is every snapshot's message! A time to laugh and a time to cry comes from the Bible! What comes to mind when you hear the word time?