Give back – you’ve gathered a lot of wisdom, so share it.
In Native American cultures, the elders are revered for their knowledge and wisdom. In our society the norm has been to discard the elders, ignore their wisdom, and make fun of the aged.
This has got to stop. We have a great deal of acquired wisdom and life experience to share and the world is worse for us not sharing it. It is a time to give back to society, to make a difference, to use the extra time we have in service to something greater than ourselves.
Volunteer where your passion lies. Is it with animals, children, disabled, poor, battered women, the environment? – you get the idea.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Powerful Aging Tip #9
Spirituality – as practiced under whatever name you call it.
Look for the meaning in your life’s experiences. Find activities and commitments that give you satisfaction and add purpose to your life.
Find activities that enliven you and give you a sense of courage, or heart fullness.
To quote from an interview with Jennifer L. Brower, a Unitarian Universalist minister, “Spiritual experiences are those events in life and moments in relationships which attune us to that vital or animating force within and which give greater meaning and depth to our day-to-day living.”
If you don’t have a spiritual community, find one that matches your philosophy and participate.
Look for the meaning in your life’s experiences. Find activities and commitments that give you satisfaction and add purpose to your life.
Find activities that enliven you and give you a sense of courage, or heart fullness.
To quote from an interview with Jennifer L. Brower, a Unitarian Universalist minister, “Spiritual experiences are those events in life and moments in relationships which attune us to that vital or animating force within and which give greater meaning and depth to our day-to-day living.”
If you don’t have a spiritual community, find one that matches your philosophy and participate.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Good Genes Help
On Wednesday, I had the extreme pleasure of re-connecting with my Aunt Gerta and Cousin Sandy after 55 years. Yes, I said 55 years; that’s how long since we had last seen one another.
Several months ago Sandy found me through Ancestry.com. It was very fortuitous as I had been lamenting the fact that I didn’t feel like I had a family. I was really missing a connection to my Father’s side of the family. Sandy called me at the exact moment I needed and I was more than thrilled. When we were young girls, Sandy and I spent a couple of weeks together each summer at our Grandmother’s home in San Francisco. I always looked forward to these visits because Sandy was such a sweet girl and we got along so well. Those memories are some of the best I can remember.
Aunt Gerta is 87 years old and is a beautiful person, both physically and mentally. I felt such a strong connection to her and I remembered how much I had always admired her. She began dancing when she was 13 and continued dancing until a few years ago when a hip replacement finally stopped the dance. Well, it stopped the physical part of the dance, but she still choreographs for others. She’s a delight to be with and quite amazing.
Sandy, three weeks younger than I, is also a beauty and I felt the same sense of kinship and love I felt with her so long ago when we were girls playing together. She reads a lot and seems to have read some of the same books I have. There were other similarities and I felt so comfortable talking to her...like the sister I never had. I was an only child, so Sandy was, and is, very important to me.
I also got to meet John, Sandy’s husband. It’s good I brought James along because Aunt Gerta, Sandy, and I were totally engrossed in catching up. James and John hit it off too, and had much in common.
They looked me over and declared I had the Ogletree genes. After being with them again, seeing how physically and spiritually beautiful they are, I am truly grateful I have those genes!
Several months ago Sandy found me through Ancestry.com. It was very fortuitous as I had been lamenting the fact that I didn’t feel like I had a family. I was really missing a connection to my Father’s side of the family. Sandy called me at the exact moment I needed and I was more than thrilled. When we were young girls, Sandy and I spent a couple of weeks together each summer at our Grandmother’s home in San Francisco. I always looked forward to these visits because Sandy was such a sweet girl and we got along so well. Those memories are some of the best I can remember.
Aunt Gerta is 87 years old and is a beautiful person, both physically and mentally. I felt such a strong connection to her and I remembered how much I had always admired her. She began dancing when she was 13 and continued dancing until a few years ago when a hip replacement finally stopped the dance. Well, it stopped the physical part of the dance, but she still choreographs for others. She’s a delight to be with and quite amazing.
Sandy, three weeks younger than I, is also a beauty and I felt the same sense of kinship and love I felt with her so long ago when we were girls playing together. She reads a lot and seems to have read some of the same books I have. There were other similarities and I felt so comfortable talking to her...like the sister I never had. I was an only child, so Sandy was, and is, very important to me.
I also got to meet John, Sandy’s husband. It’s good I brought James along because Aunt Gerta, Sandy, and I were totally engrossed in catching up. James and John hit it off too, and had much in common.
They looked me over and declared I had the Ogletree genes. After being with them again, seeing how physically and spiritually beautiful they are, I am truly grateful I have those genes!
Powerful Aging Tip #8
Community and connection – we are social beings and need to interact with others.
Make building social connections a priority. We are at heart pack animals who thrive in the company of others. Studies have shown that older people with at least one close friend have younger cardiovascular systems, healthier stress hormone blood profiles, and actually get less colds! People with a larger circle of friends do even better.
In other studies, larger social circles equated to greater longevity. Having a companion dog showed lower deaths from cardiac problems.
Social networking using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn is a also a great way to expand your horizons beyond your local area. I’ve re-connected with long lost friends and business associates who are now located across the country. Just be alert about who you choose to “friend” or “follow”. I strongly believe in quality over quantity. Too many connections mean lower quality interactions. Every minute counts and we want to spend those minutes in a meaningful way.
In other words, connect, connect, connect!
Make building social connections a priority. We are at heart pack animals who thrive in the company of others. Studies have shown that older people with at least one close friend have younger cardiovascular systems, healthier stress hormone blood profiles, and actually get less colds! People with a larger circle of friends do even better.
In other studies, larger social circles equated to greater longevity. Having a companion dog showed lower deaths from cardiac problems.
Social networking using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn is a also a great way to expand your horizons beyond your local area. I’ve re-connected with long lost friends and business associates who are now located across the country. Just be alert about who you choose to “friend” or “follow”. I strongly believe in quality over quantity. Too many connections mean lower quality interactions. Every minute counts and we want to spend those minutes in a meaningful way.
In other words, connect, connect, connect!
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Grandma Lee Inspires Me
OK, I admit it. I watched America’s Got Talent last night. OK, not just last night, but almost all of them. Why, because Grandma Lee, the 75 year old comedian who is living her dream is actually moving up the food chain to the Semi-Finals. This is very unusual. Older people usually get passed over in these “talent” contests.
She really inspires me with her courage to face a generally much younger audience, her talent for writing her own comedy routines; she is actually very funny. Grandma Lee is definitely old looking -- wrinkles galore -- and I love it! She looks alive, not plastic and botoxed out of her face. She looks real, and she is quite feisty.
I hope she goes all the way! Grandma Lee, I’m rooting for you.
She really inspires me with her courage to face a generally much younger audience, her talent for writing her own comedy routines; she is actually very funny. Grandma Lee is definitely old looking -- wrinkles galore -- and I love it! She looks alive, not plastic and botoxed out of her face. She looks real, and she is quite feisty.
I hope she goes all the way! Grandma Lee, I’m rooting for you.
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
I am not a Senior Citizen -- I am an Elder
While perusing some elderbloggers blogs, I came across a discussion of the term Senior Citizen v.s. Elder. Language has always intrigued me, so I decided to dig further.
Did you know that Dictionary.com defines a Senior Citizen as:
An Elder, on the other hand is defined as:
Did you know that Dictionary.com defines a Senior Citizen as:
- an elderly or aged person, especially one who is retired or whose principal source of support is a pension or Social Security benefits.
An Elder, on the other hand is defined as:
- a person who is older or higher in rank than oneself.
- an aged person.
- an influential member of a tribe or community, often a chief or ruler; a superior.
- a name frequently used in the Old Testament as denoting a person clothed with authority, and entitled to respect and reverence (Gen. 50:7).
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