Organized Limitations?

Hello, dear Reader.  Whenever I sit down to write for you I wonder what I'm going to say. Sometimes I'll have made notes during the week when I've heard something that sounds like it's noteworthy. I might start off heading in one direction and end up in another. For me, it's a fascinating journey, a bit like a microcosm of life in general. Lately, my ears, eyes, and soul perk up whenever something about aging pops up. We are all aging, all the time -- what's the saying ... you will never be younger than you are now. It's true and it becomes more and more of a topic of interest as we age (duh!). 

This week I was listening to Julia Louis-Dreyfus' podcast, "Wiser Than Me". I highly recommend it, no matter what your age and I especially suggest you try it out if you're of a certain age. She was interviewing the amazing swimmer Diana Nyad who at 64 years old swam from Cuba to Florida! What an inspiration! She's now 76 and not slowing down. She created EverWalk, an initiative to encourage people to keep walking in order to maintain healthy longevity.

What really got my attention was when she said in the interview, "I'm really against, you know, organized limitations. So, you know, health care companies, for instance, want to put out, well, at 76, you're going to be feeling this." This is a woman after my own heart. It reminds me of the T-shirt I saw that said, "I don't know how to act my age. I've never been this old before." Just the phrase act your age is an insult, as far as I'm concerned, since it's usually meant as a put-down.  

Who has the right to tell me what 75, 85, or any age is "supposed" to look like?!? Why should I, or you, downgrade just because we're older? BTW, the definition of downgrade is: to reduce someone or something's rank, status, or level of importance. After years of living out loud, making mistakes and learning from them, and contributing on so many levels, I am damned if I will be demoted. 

There are cultures in East and South Asia, many Native American tribes, and some African cultures who value and respect their elders. As they get older, they are cared for and held in an elevated status. Elders are revered for their history and listened to for their life lessons. This has the positive effect of letting us embrace aging. Instead of just getting "old", we can look forward to "what's next". 

It's up to us to stay strong and not shrink into the background. This means taking care of ourselves in every way: physically, mentally, and spiritually. I also see it as a great opportunity to find or create communities where we support each other and we invite others, people of all ages, to find connection. We are relevant right up to our last breath and maybe even beyond. Hold onto that!

Sending Sparkles and Love Your Way,