People plan for all kinds of life events, from weddings and home purchases to pre-paid funeral arrangements. But what about planning for the decades between retirement and death? We’re aware things can happen, yet we delay making preparations. Now there’s a new tool to help. I watched a presentation from the American Society on Aging last week. The presenters were Gayle …
Last week, the autumn equinox marked the end of summer and the beginning of fall. As if right on cue, the black gum trees on one side of my house began covering the lawn with red and orange leaves. The oak, hickory and maple will begin dropping theirs next month. This seasonal shift in in color serves to remind me of …
When you reach a certain age, you may feel like you’re grown up. You’ve completed your education and passed the stage of life characterized by growth. But the truth is, you grow every day for as long as you live. Even after you’ve gotten as tall as you’ll ever be, you keep growing. Your cells continue to regenerate. Your hair, though …
Pain is something we too often have to live with as we get older. Whatever part of the body it’s radiating from, pain can disrupt sleep, normal activities, and our peace of mind. How can we cope with pain when it hogs all of our attention and seems to take over our life? Last week, I discussed the pain I had in …
It’s the middle of the night and I wake up in a sudden panic. My feet feel as they are being squeezed in a vice. Am I having foot cramps? Is this a blood flow problem? A symptom of diabetes? My mind races through all kinds of scary scenarios until I am sitting up in bed, panting in fear. Then I …
Ashton Applewhite, author of This Chair Rocks as well as writer of several blogs and an in-demand speaker, is an activist leading the fight to end ageism. I’ve discussed her work several times in earlier posts because I find it compelling. While my focus is on personal strategies for aging well from the inside out, Ashton is a staunch advocate for social …
When I get a message from three different sources, I tend to pay attention. In a recent issue of O magazine, there was a piece in which Katie Arnold-Ratliff described doing some really dumb things. Instead of agonizing over her blunders, she learned to shrug them off and chalk it up to being part of life. In the Guide for Spiritual …
I attended the Georgia Gerontology Society conference last week, and as in years past, there was lots of inspiration and information shared on how to improve the experience of aging. There were sessions on using technology, self-help wellness programs, and a beautiful and touching look at the realities of living with dementia. There was also a session on spirituality that engaged …
What’s your life going to look like 10 or 20 years from now? How will your body or relationships or income or capabilities change? Expecting lots of decline and disability? You might be surprised by how things could turn out. A Pew study found a significant difference between what adults expected life over 65 to be like and what people over …
Shirley MacLaine plays the lead in a movie out this spring, “The Last Word.” This movie made me reflect on how I want to be remembered. It’s the story of retired advertising executive Harriet Lauler, who spent her life being critical of everyone she met. A life-long control freak and perfectionist, she strives to be in control of what will go …
