How do you deal with aging?

Hi, I am 72, but already I am thinking about how many years I am going to live, and I am afrade that I am not going to have enough time to do what I love to do and I want to do.

Hello @matle
What are some of the things you love to do?

I hear you! It is an interesting time of life. What do you love and want to do? I hope that you are enjoying as much of those things now as you want. Do you have any kind of practice that helps you stay in these present moments and that helps you appreciate them instead of getting ensnared in worry.

@matle Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I bet many of us can relate to your comment!

My dad told me once, "do what you want to do, when you know you can do it, because you don't know when you might not be able to do it anymore." He told me of regrets in his life for not getting out to do certain things.

We are not promised tomorrow, nor do we know our "expiration date". What do you love to do, what do you want to do? What steps are you making today to see those things accomplished?
Ginger

I will be 90 years old in September. How do I deal with aging? For starters I am not going to buy green bananas. I am kind of surprised that I have lived so long. I have been a widow for almost three years. These have been the worst years of my life and yet I am still kind of going on. I am able to live independently and can drive myself anywhere I need to go. I am relatively healthy. I don't have dementia. I have some rotor cuff problems and I am getting physical therapy. So far I have no illnesses and no chronic pain. I know I am extremely fortunate. But I did do many years of racewalking even while I had a full-time job and was raising a family. When I retired at age 67, I continued to walk. I do not smoke and drink very little. I try to eat a healthy diet and I guess it has paid off. But I really miss my husband and do not have much desire to go on much longer.

I imagine that you've lost most of your friends as I have. It does get pretty lonely, especially after losing your husband. I am not one to go to the senior center, but maybe you might be. I think it is a good place to meet people like us. Having a good buddy is helpful. I am sure all of the racewalking you did is lending itself to your longevity and physical health. Maybe you could volunteer to sit and chat with someone. We do that at Meals on Wheels.

Hi, Everyone. On my way to the Caregiver forum from Mayo, I decided on a side trip to the Aging forum. I am 87 and care for my 94-year-old husband and have personal experience with aging from many perspectives. If you do not have dementia, you have already won the jackpot. I use a walker and carry a heavy load as a caretaker, but I have a sharp mind that allows me to figure out strategies to improve our lives. My best advice is to look ahead not as a long slog that will never be filled with what went before but with possibilities of new things. In my spare moments, I write and do art projects that fill my soul with more than duty. It is not unnatural to lose friends and feel isolated. So I have clung tenaciously to a writers' group whose meeting I can no longer attend regularly, but still go to on a when-I-can basis. The young people who clean our home have become friends. While taking care of what I can't they have freed me up to do paperwork that I must. Meals-on-Wheels bring food and a daily hello. What I am trying to say is life is always in flux. Keep as busy as you can to make your here-and-now interesting. We do live in the age of the internet where How-tos, information, and entertainment are just a click away.
Beyond a crystal ball, none of us knows about the future. Do not ruin the present by mourning for the past, which, if we are honest, probably had its challenges also. GloRo

On the other hand..I would like to pursue my hobbies, but my physical disabilities have curtailed most of them.
It’s frustrating and depressing that I can’t enjoy the things that I once did.

Very well said, GloRo!

I’m 78, and I, too, wonder how much time I have left, and what lies down the road, health wise. At 70 I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis and CLL, but was doing well and still getting around until Covid came along. During that time of confinement the arthritis worsened, despite ongoing treatment. I’m still ambulatory, but back pain and loss of stamina prevents me from doing all the things I took for granted, which are too numerous to mention. One example—no more fun days of shopping-til-you-drop with my daughter and granddaughters. And I was looking forward to traveling in my golden years, of finally being a free spirit (as far as my income would allow), but that ship has sailed, literally.
I am blessed with a large family that includes grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and my ex; but with their busy lives, I don’t see them often. Fortunately, I’m something of an introvert and enjoy time to myself, though I admit to feeling left out and lonely at times.
As for contemplating the end of my life, I’m fortunate as well. Since childhood, I’ve had an abiding interest in the spiritual and metaphysical, and many related subjects. I’m so grateful to be living now in the Information Age! As a result, I’m certain of a beautiful afterlife filled with love and joy for everyone. To quote Rumi:
“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing,
There is a field. I’ll meet you there.”