How do you deal with aging?

Tim wrote: "The love between my wife and me has grown stronger as we have aged together. And in old age I find that if I am able to face the music, sometimes I can dance to it."

Yay, Tim!!!!

I really don't understand the question. You may as well ask how do you deal with living? Because that is what you are doing - living. I don't think you need to deal with anything. As long as you are reasonably healthy you just keep on doing what you do and what makes you happy. There is no way to tell how long you will live. I am well along in my 89th year. So many people younger than me are dying, but I can't let that affect me. I just put one foot in front of the other and keep going. Thinking about dying is foolish.

You sound amazing! What a wonderful attitude you have. My first thought was "I want to be just like you when I grow up!! 🙂

I understand your perspective. However, the question didn't ask about how to die well, or how to live well. The author was specific and requested input from others, not about how to live while aging, but how to age while living. At least, that was my interpretation...perhaps others' were different, as was yours.

As an illustration, I am considerably younger than you, in my early 70's, but I have noticed, and have experienced the effects of, age-related changes and medical conditions over which I have little control now that they have taken place. Could I have been in fewer competitive running races and spared my now-cranky heart? Yup, but I wouldn't have known at the time. Could I have listened to my wife who said I had begun to snore a lot? Yupper! But, now I have AF, thankfully controlled after two pulmonary vein isolations via RF catheter ablation. I have to wear a CPAP machine in perpetuity, take DOACs for life, and I'm told a statin will help to get me there. I think that latter one is a load of hooey, but...I like to stay on my doc's good side. I'm slower on statins, just as I was on metoprolol. Not cognitively...let's not go there, though, because that's another deterioration that comes with aging. And so on....

The point is that we all have to make adjustments, and in our dotage change is harder to accommodate. Some of us handle it relatively well, as I think you must, while others for various reasons struggle. I think the asker might be closer to the latter category, and he/she is seeking some experiential wisdom from us.

Just as you said, I understand your perspective as well. I realize that I am fortunate indeed not to have major illnesses with which to grapple. I give credit to my many years of race walking. Even though I had a full-time job and a family, I made time to do this because I enjoyed it. After retirement I switched to walking because I no longer had a track available. My husband died 2-1/2 years ago after a 62 years old relationship. I am still not close to be over that. Shortly thereafter I had to have a hip replacement. Perhaps the race walking wore it out. And yet I am still here with my mind intact which enables me to live independently. I will be 90 in less than six months. How much longer? Who knows. In the meantime I just go on. I hope you get better or else get better at coping.

Thanks, Marilyn. I'm actually doing much better now that my heart is not fibrillating and keeping me awake and anxious. I have been fixed, due to the ablation procedure, and the only thing left is the apnea. I use a machine at night which is controlling my disordered breathing very nicely...almost embarrassingly well, judging by the much poorer results from so many other CPAP machine users who come to apneaboard forums and ask for help.

I can only hope to be in your condition when I get to 90, both with your attitude and with your stamina and mental acumen. I'll be very thankful if that turns out to be the case. 😀

Thanks Marilyn for adding more about yourself & your life. I'm so sorry that you lost your husband just 2 1/2 years ago and it's certainly natural that it's taking time to come to grips with it. How wonderful that the two of you had 62 years together! My husband and I will celebrate 50 years married this August, though in reality we've been together for 53 years. You being able to live independently at nearly 90 years old is wonderful! I think what really struck me very recently was when our older daughter (60 years old) was unexpectedly widowed. It just got me thinking more and more that nothing in our lives is guaranteed. I'm trying to live fully "one day at a time."

Thank you to all who have posted about their “age-ism”. I turned 76 in March. When I say how old I am I don’t believe it. For some reason I must be in denial about how long I have lived. I am grateful that the only “medication” I take is an antibiotic before dental work. I am dealing with arthritis in all my major joints. I think working with a trainer at a local gym is helping maintain my “stamina”. We have a water filtration system that insures cleaner water than the public water supply. I think the positive attitude goes a long way towards keeping me going. Gratitude for what I have ( instead of anger about what I don’t have) also seems important.
God bless you all on your journeys.

Hi
Well if anyone is reading this article then guess we are all aging. I can say I am seasoned. With time to still learn new ideas or skills. I take each day as it comes. Try not to think about tomorrow and put my energy in today. My father lived to 90 yrs and passed away unexpectedly 2 1/2 yrs ago. I take care of my body, mind and spirit self. I do believe there is a God! To believe in God doesn’t mean a person is religious. Tow different topics. If we have a spirit then it should mean we have a creator. All this meaning a know where MY spirit will go when it leave this body which is limited. I just try to keep all three facets of my being in tune the best I can. And just take one day at time as my Dad shared with me.
Not sure if my comment helped …. Just my thoughts.

What a great attitude and wonderful way of looking at "life." Thanks so much for sharing!