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Aging Vibrantly
Sofia Loren, when asked, “What is your secret to growing older so beautifully?” reportedly said. “Never groan when you stand up.”
I am 68 years old. I lost my wife of 30 years to an 8-year battle with cancer. Elizabeth, my now wife, is much younger than me. Plus, we live with 4 generations, 8 Humans, and 5 dogs.
I don’t have time to age!
“The Longer I live, the more beautiful life becomes.”
~Frank Lloyd Wright
A few weeks ago, I was backpacking with my stepson and his friend. They are 20-somethings, I am not. As we hiked along the Superior hiking trail, I could see them… not so slowly pulling ahead. That gave me time to think. I was always the guy pulling ahead. I was the “Young Turk, the warrior” no longer. At some point, you move from the “warrior class” to the “wisdom class.” It is a transition that can be hard; no longer the physical leader, now the advisor, the wisdom keeper.
“Aging is not ’Lost youth’ but a new stage of opportunity and strength”
~Betty Friedan
I have always said that heaven must have grandkids and dogs all over you. Well, this morning, I was in heaven. Just as Lincoln, our youngest, was crawling into bed to snuggle, our grandson got up early, let all the dogs loose, and showed up in our bedroom. Then came the whole menagerie—three generations, four people, and three dogs in one bed.
There was a time when I might have been mad… Get out of here. Let me sleep. But no longer. I lean into it, smile, and feel deep love.
“I’m happy to report that my inner child is still ageless.”
~James Broughton
I have a group of friends. For over twenty years, we have called ourselves “The Geriatric Telemark Society (GTS).” Telemark is a type of free-healing downhill skiing. In the old days, we would pull sleds into the backcountry and ski the peaks. Then we started being taken in by snowcat or helicopter, climbing the mountains, and skiing off. More recently, we have been going to a resort and getting carted up by the lifts. We may also do a “slack country day” off the back side of the mountain. I shared an old video of deep powder and big lines in our text group. One of the GTS replied, “Stop sending these. They make me cry.”
“Youth is the most beautiful thing in the world – and what a pity it must be wasted on children.”
~Bernard Shaw
We rarely talk about the old days. We mostly focus on the next adventure, even if that next adventure is a bit more tame than it was in the old days. Not so long ago, the adventure was the funeral of our close friend.
I have many more adventures in me. They might involve sleeping with the whole menagerie, backpacking with some 20-somethings, skiing with family or old friends, or something new.
“In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years;”
~Abraham Lincoln
Life is what happens between your plans… or in spite of them.
A patient recently told me that her father; “Lived life as if everyone loved him.” What an amazing thing. Imagine, for a moment, that everyone loves you, and you love them.
I try to live a beautiful life. Filled with wonderful food, family, friends, and activity.
“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”
~Confucius
-Dr. Sult
