Painting by Belynda Wilson Thomas
A merry heart does good, like a medicine. Proverbs 17:22b
Mom turned ninety-nine on Tuesday. She can’t believe where the time went. I listened to a podcast on aging, and the expert listed the five top things that impact aging in their order of importance: friends, diet, exercise, stress, and creativity. Mom puts diet as number one.
If we want to have the opportunity to age well, we will have to eat a good diet, but what is a good diet, and how good does a good diet have to be? Friends are important, Mom lost her friend and walking partner a couple of years ago and it made a huge difference in her life. Exercise is important and Mom is still going for a daily walk because it is important at ninety-nine to be able to do Thursday what you could do on Wednesday.
Stress at ninety-nine, one shouldn’t have a lot of stress but of course, there is always stress in our lives and one of the stresses aging people face is that they might lose the ability to make choices for their own life.
Creativity might be the choice that pays the biggest dividends for our mental health as we age. We can’t control what will happen to our friends, or how often our family comes to visit, or when our spouse dies, but we can choose to be creative and put passion and purpose into our lives. Mom quilted before Dad died, but it was after his death that quilting became a bigger focus in her life and she created her most beautiful and intricate quilts.
A joyful heart is the normal result of a heart burning with love. She gives most who gives with joy. Mother Teresa
Being alone is a physical state, and it is not the same as being lonely. Loneliness is an emotional state and we can still be lonely when surrounded by people. There comes a time when we might not be able to physically continue with our creative pursuits and that might be when loneliness descends upon us. The hours are no longer filled and the promise of what we will do tomorrow is not with us.
We might wish we didn’t live long enough to lose the ability to do the things we love, but we don’t have a choice in that. We will have to deal with the circumstances as they show up in our lives and make the best of them. Keeping a sense of humor and perspective on life will help. If like Mom we can see the funny in whatever situation presents and retain an attitude of gratitude because even if what is, isn’t great, it could be worse. Life is what it is and we can make the best of it or the worst of it. We can appreciate the wonderful moments life presents or be miserable.
Even when we don’t get to make many other choices in our life our attitude is still our choice and it is so much more wonderful to be around someone happy and grateful than sour and miserable.
Mom is an example of aging with grace and dignity, keeping a positive attitude, and a grateful spirit. It is my wish to be as great of an example to my children and grandchildren as she has been. It almost seems impossible, but what is life for if not audacious goals?
Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day. Henri J.M. Nouwen
Our happiness depends on the habit of mind we cultivate. So practice happy thinking every day. Cultivate the merry heart, develop the happiness habit, and life will become a continual feast. Norman Vincent Peale
Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn, or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every moment with love and gratitude. Denis Waitley
Thank you for reading this post. Please come back and read some more. Have a blessed day filled with gratitude, joy, and love.
