Growing Old Gracefully

                                                  Today is 'Growing Old Gracefully' Day. 

                                 Let me tell you... I taped a program off PBS the other night. 

It's awful when you have two or three shows to watch and they all come on at the same time, right? 

So, I DVRed this one. A couple days later, totally exhausted, I flop down on the couch and start watching this show that I thought I had to tape. 

The fact that the name of it was "Goddesses Never Age" just made me want to see what it was all about. 
                                     Hmmmm.... Goddesses never age. I think I like that idea. 

So, here's this energetic lady, nice looking, smartly dressed, pacing back and forth on a stage in front of an audience. Dull?  Not one bit. 
                                                             She had me from the get-go. 

Now, I'd never heard of Dr. Christiane Northup. Must have had my head buried under the covers!! This woman is a famous author (New York Times top seller list), a doctor who champions women's health and wellness. A woman who is world known and where in the dickens was I during all this? But, now, there she is on my tv screen so I sit up and listen. 

I am posting a picture of her book. Not to 'sell' it but to let you see what this older woman looks like. 

She's talking about how we are so programmed into believing that age is a bad thing, that's it's all downhill after 40. Remember the black roses and birthday balloons that are so popular for people turning 40. 
                                           My gosh... from my vantage point 40 is NOTHING. 

Let me say right here and now,  that I am not selling Dr. Northup (nor any of her products) to you. She doesn't know I exist and that's fine. But, I sure do like what she is 'preaching' to us womenfolk. It goes right along with my growing old gracefully idea. 

I have for years been bemoaning growing old. Just ask my daughters and they will tell you that I have been a pain in the butt about that. I'd say on a daily basis that 'I have to hurry and do so and so because I don't have that many years left'. And, that was my mindset. I was counting up the years and going into panic mode. 

There's a lot I can say (and I will say later on) about what we can do to take control of our way of thinking about the 'rest of our lives'. It doesn't matter if you are 30 or 80.

I have come to a point in my life where I know that CHOICES are made by me...

choices of how I want to live my life -  now - ten years from now and maybe even twenty years from now. You either sink or swim and (even though I can't physically swim) I choose to SWIM. You decide to live your life to the fullest every single day or you just sit down and let this glorious life pass you by. You only have one life. Which are you going to do? I think you know what I am already doing. 

I sat listening to that woman (pacing back and forth) and telling me everything I wanted to hear. 
               What I needed to hear. 
                                        I was energized, filled with hope and vitality. I am so psyched!! 

I'm 81... that's just a number, you gals. Today is today and that's just another day to get better and live it to the fullest. How about you? What you say that we all live to the ripe old age of 95 and we'll get together and throw this huge party and have a barrel of fun. I'll see you there.