A friend of mine and her daughter were here this last weekend for a climbing competition. Her daughter is an incredible climber and they were in Boulder for the nationals.
During the long weekend, my friend and I were discussing some of our pains and illnesses that seem to be coming on more and more as we get older. We did not anticipate getting older when we were young and strong (she was a Stanford woman's softball coach, so when I say young and strong, I mean it!). And my first injury or serious pain in life was when, as an adult, I got a whiplash from a roller coaster ride in Santa Cruz.
So what is it like to get older? That's hard for me to put into words, but I'm going to try. I know myself so much better than I ever could have when I was younger. I like myself and my friends more than I did when I was younger. My friends now have a certain grace that comes with aging. Plus, I choose my friends more carefully now than I did before.
My body is definitely changing. I just laughed out loud at that simple statement. I can't keep weight off like I used to. My skin is not as taunt as it once was. My feet hurt sometimes. Overall, I am thankful I am healthy and strong. I just wish...
that as we aged, we did not have as many illnesses and diseases -- just like when we were younger. It seems like once we hit 40 and 50, surprises come our way that we never thought would happen to us. Like the increase in cancer and heart disease. Diabetes. Arthritis. And dementia. Yes, at 40, dementia is now easy to diagnose and is a scary thing to live with, along with all the other diseases that are prevalent as we get older.
If you are in your 40's or 50's and you have not yet taken care of you will, guardianships for your children, and powers of attorney for medical and finances, to name a few, please think about it. No one ever expects to age. Don't ask me why. Nor do we expect to have serious medical conditions where we possibly cannot fend or make decisions for ourselves. That only happens to other people.
Take a minute and think about my 9 step program found on my website at: http://www.kaydiller.com/9steps. I promise you, my 9 step program will help you get things organized and in order in a simple and effective way. Go do it now, before something else takes away your attention, like that back pain that wasn't there yesterday!
Take care,
Kay
on your thoughts of getting older - i feel you have shared your thoughts well! and love that i am thinking, "i love gracefully growing older!... that AND i cannot believe how much stretching, breathing deeply, and simply having supportive friends and family makes a big difference.
ReplyDeleteo.k. - i believe it's time for me to get my 9 steps going on! and
You're right, I've always thought it would be the other people who got older. But exactly when did I think it would be time to make a will and make certain someone would care for my children??
ReplyDelete