Link to article in Lakeshore Weekly News
Guest Column by Deb Taylor
Life brings different rhythms — different timetables — for each of us. We lose dear loved ones, we grieve, we face changes — diminished mobility, an end to driving the car, maybe a different place to live after decades in the long-time family home.
Often, stressors push down on us as we give up the familiar, the comfortable, the sense of control. We may start feeling diminished and depressed. Isolation sets in and home may suddenly feel like a prison rather than a sanctuary. The morning glance in the mirror may reveal new lines or drooping in places that didn’t droop before. Self-pity is a very human first reaction, but consider turning the issue on its head instead.
Why not celebrate your years and experience? An acquaintance once talked about putting on her “reverse glasses” to look at life from a new perspective, through new lens so to speak. Suddenly, you’re running into time. Things are going right. It’s not your fault. You can’t lose. You’ve got plenty of energy. Everything is so easy. What new opportunities will today bring?
In other words, embrace aging. Learn to appreciate yourself and what you have to offer. We can all befriend another and be a blessing. Acknowledge your imperfections because no one is perfect. Accept your limitations; if you can’t run the mile in under six minutes, then embrace the beauty of a slow stroll on a beautiful morning. Enjoy the quiet times. Celebrate impermanence; if everything was permanent, nothing would change. It’s never too late so create a list of things you’d like to still accomplish and set out to do them. Finally, rather than dwelling on regret and the things you can no longer do, focus on what you can do. Live vitally, and be sure to laugh often and maintain a sense of humor. It helps you maintain perspective. And soon the doom and gloom will bloom into something healthier.
If you are a caregiver, your selfless service to help another may sometimes feel like a sacrifice. One caregiver said it helps her to think of caregiving as adjusting rather than sacrificing. Adjusting seems more like a sideways shift rather than a loss of something, she explained.
You’re never alone
No matter the challenge or struggle, support is always available. Every day, Senior Community Services helps seniors and caregivers find the right supportive services to improve daily living. We help them connect with local senior centers where joy, fun, and fellowship are everyday experiences rather than loneliness and isolation. We help with household chores that may be impossible for them to manage, find affordable healthcare insurance, help them manage care, and reduce burdensome medical debt that taxes limited and fixed incomes.
The challenges are here to stay awhile. Roughly 11,000 people — on average — are expected to turn 65 every day for the next 15 years, according to the federal government. So needs will only grow.
A little focused expertise — applied properly — can make a world of difference. It’s quite a prescription for living in the later years. And when we take steps to enhance daily living, we Reimagine Aging, not only for a growing number of older relatives, friends, and neighbors, but for all of us.
Deb Taylor is CEO of Senior Community Services (www.seniorcommunity.org) and its Reimagine Aging Institute, a nonprofit that advocates for older adults and helps seniors and caregivers maintain their independence through free or low-cost services.
