Getting Older

For centuries, people have searched for the fountain of youth – some miraculous food, pill, treatment, or discovery that might slow aging and keep us young. I have spent much of my life studying aging and longevity. I earned a master’s degree in gerontology, have written about longevity, and, perhaps most importantly, have had the opportunity to experience aging firsthand.

As we get older, sight and hearing are generally the senses that are most obviously affected and best cared for, whilst changes in taste, smell and touch are far less widely recognised. However, it is the five senses that undergo a change. We may need more stimulation to be aware of a sensation, because the […]

The other morning, Buddy stood up from his bed, stretched, and let out a little grunt. A moment later, I stood up from my chair and made exactly the same sound. We looked at each other. Neither of us mentioned it. Buddy is my old black Lab, and apparently somewhere along the way we have reached the stage of life where neither one of us gets up without announcing it…

A few months ago, I was feeling lethargic about my life. It seemed smaller, rather flat and far too predictable. I wondered whether this was simply what happened at 72. Perhaps life naturally slowed down, and I needed to accept it. But I didn’t want to accept it. Just because I may be three quarters of the way through my life does not mean I need to stop fully living it…

When I was 60, I thought I was getting old. Now that I am 90, I find that rather amusing. At 60, I had already lived a substantial life. I had worked, learned, made mistakes, enjoyed successes, worried about things that never happened, and survived problems that once seemed enormous. But looking back over the 30 years since then, I can see several things much more clearly…

A man once told me, during one of my seminars, about a thought that used to make him laugh at himself. In his 20s, he loved going to concerts. Whenever he spotted people over 50 in the crowd, he’d think: What are these old codgers doing here? He’s over 50 now. The music still moves him…

I recently found myself as the “loving” companion to my brother and husband for two separate medical procedures. I’m happy to say there has been a long hiatus for this kind of caretaking, because the first episode, about five years ago, was quite an eye opener. At that time, I was more focused on surviving the quirky US healthcare system and locating the best offerings in my local area…

Sometimes life feels different after 60 even though nothing around us appears to have changed. That quiet feeling can be confusing, especially when there is no obvious reason for it. Yet for many women, it is the first sign that a new chapter has already begun, long before they recognize it…

You know that quote floating around the internet – the one that says “Grow old with someone who makes you feel young.” Well, I’m not just growing old with someone who makes me feel young… I somehow landed a man who makes me feel like I should a helmet and a permission slip…

Have you ever noticed that as we get older, we tend to spend more time talking about what we’re losing instead of what we are gaining? The conversation often centers on wrinkles, retirement, slowing down, or staying relevant in a rapidly changing world. Everywhere we look, we’re encouraged to maintain our youth, preserve…