How do you deal with aging?

I love your suggestion! I'm going to print it out as a daily reminder to concentrate on living one day at a time and quit worrying about the future. 🙂

You sound like you have a very good life and a great sense of humor! 🙂

We are having a remarkable conversation, very open and honest.

The first time I recall being afraid of death I was about 8 or 9 years old and I have worked to be comfortable with the thought ever since. I’ve come to feel that life is not something we can “have” or “own.” Being alive is something we experience just “now” in this moment of life. In that sense life is the same whether we die at 25, 65, 85 or 105. Living in this moment is all we can really have. If, in worrying about whether I’ll be alive ten years from now I lose my present moment of life, it’s as if I’ve made myself dead already! And if I can make my moment of life fuller and richer, I have already extended my life.

Being a bit naturally greedy, I usually start my day thinking of what I’d most like to do. That does include taking out the garbage, because I’d like to see the house clean. We have a beautiful battery powered vacuum, so for the first time in my life I like vacuuming because I love the vacuum cleaner, and it makes me a hero with my wife.

But especially I love making and learning thing and some of my projects can go on for years. Yes, that’s thinking ahead, but giving my day a purpose makes getting going more fun.

My best moments are when I feel gratitude. The things folks are sharing here make me feel that we belong together for this, and that we are making our living moments better. It’s a wonderful power we have!

And Thank You!

I guess I was. Like you, I was very active -- aerobics, hiking, dancing. I miss all of it. But I have to accept I can't do those things anymore. Like you, be thankful for what I can do.

Ed, I absolutely love your input! Once again, I'm going to print out what you wrote and refer to it whenever I'm feeling down about the aging process. I agree completely that the best moments are feeling gratitude and personally, I'm incredibly grateful for all that I have and am able to do. I recall only too well when my father-in-law who worked for someone else was fired on his 65th birthday 🙁 because a "friend" lied about him. His job meant the world to him and when he know longer had it, his primary purpose in life was taken away from him. He died 4 years later. I never forget about that when I realize how incredibly fortunate I am to be an independent contractor and not an employee at the whim of an uncaring boss. For me, love of family and lots of volunteering on top of my career also help tremendously.

I've had to admit that there are lots of things that I CAN do physically, but have simply fallen into a very lazy pattern. Maybe each of us just needs to modify what we were able to do when we were younger, but continue to keep exercising. I'm convinced it's excellent for ones physical AND mental health. 🙂

a 90 year old man and loading forward to every day My mortality never enters my mind I’m always too busy living
My secret is i enjoy life and fill each day so at the end of the day i look forward to going to bed
I’m very fortunate i have a Amazing wife who is three years Younger than me and for the most part each do their own thing but also do a lot together We have 10 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren and for which we are very grateful and fortunate
If i spend my time worrying about my mortality to me that’s not
living . Living to me is what it’s all about
Thanks for listening

I am 87 and think you are doing quite well! I live alone
and hire a little help with heavier housework and yard work. My daughter & son-in-law live 15 miles away and help also. I had 2 strokes nearly a year ago, spent 2 months in hospitals and nursing home. Thanks to family, I was able to return home, first on walker, but no longer. I voluntarily gave up driving, as right side hand, leg, foot are not quite recovered. Since I live in a very rural area, it means I am alone most of the time, but I don't mind. Going on a cruise with someone sounds wonderful!! Have fun!

Thank you. We have cruised together once before and are still friends so we thought we would have another go at it. I am so sorry that you suffered strokes. That is one of the things that I worry about. When you get to be our age, there are so many things out of our control and you cannot predict anything. I check in via email with two people. If they don't hear from me within a reasonable time, they will either call me or law enforcement to do a wellness check. When you live alone you need something like this. It was brought home to me when a woman who lived in the next block of my street died and no one knew until almost a week later. It gave me a jolt and that's when I started checking in with these two trusted friends. I don't know how I would cope if I couldn't drive. I do not drive for pleasure but to the market, library, doctor appointments, etc. Good luck to you as you continue your recovery.

Thanks for your reply! I sometimes am tempted to drive, but feel it is not safe. My daughter checks with me daily and her husband texts me also. So I am not so alone. Enjoy that cruise!