Getting Older

There was something momentous on the horizon, I felt – a celebration of our longevity after decades of surviving in a male-dominated world – to acknowledge a new stage of life and all that it took to get there. Birthdays and anniversaries are fine…

Role reversal, whether it is as a parent/child or even a grandparent/grandchild, never quite feels right. Becoming the “let me help you” person in the relationship is not how it likely went for most of your life. But with aging, that sometimes changes or needs to change…

‘Ageism’ is a word first coined in 1969 by American psychiatrist Robert N. Butler. He was referring to systematic stereotyping or discrimination against people because they are old. Through the years, the definition of ‘ageism’ has evolved to mean prejudice…

Eugenie was telling me how wonderful she felt. This was unusual and unexpected because she was in her early 70s and had several health challenges, but on this day she told me: “Something has shifted, and it’s all because I did something…

When I was 40, I began to develop Arthritis. It began slowly, at first in my fingers, however by the time I was in my late 50s, I was really suffering with pain, joint stiffness and swelling in my feet, knees, hands and ankles. I knew that I needed to find a way…

I recently had email contact with a woman who I met only once – and that was some 20 years ago. She is the best friend of someone I used to know and like, but who I haven’t seen for years because we don’t live near each other. In her email, the woman mentioned that she…

Life has a way of presenting us with decisions that test our strength and resolve. Recently, I faced one of the hardest choices I’ve ever had to make: moving my 90-year-old mum into a care home. This was not a decision made lightly, nor one that has come without a significant emotional toll…

Aging? Anti-aging? What’s your vocabulary, and what does it say about growing older? To me, the word aging suggests we’re going in the wrong direction, and anti-aging suggests we’re fighting against it tooth and nail. Neither feels quite right to me…

A friend who is 10 years younger than me and I have a running joke. Her mother sometimes disapproves of our joint outdoor adventures, so she will frequently say, “Mary Lou is old enough to know better,” all in a joking way. Recently, I arrived at a rural venue…

Once we pass 45 or 50, it often feels like the beginning of a slippery slope towards decline. Birthday cards telegraph that the best part of life is behind you. Anti-aging products are targeted at you. Articles point out how out of touch you’ve become…