Being Elderly Isn’t Just Pain and Forgetfulness!

I would tell my 20-something self not to fear getting old. When we are young, we see being elderly as the antithesis of youth. We envision a time of pain, slowness, forgetfulness, isolation, and loneliness. But I have found it a time to reflect on what is possible and to live life to the fullest. Getting older requires endurance, a sense of humor, and the courage to face whatever happens, with the understanding that “this, too, will pass.” You have lived enough of the drama of life to know that not every trial will break you.

In my twenties, I became a mother through adoption, so all of my dreams for seeing the world and going to college to accomplish feats that my parents never dreamed of doing had to be put on hold. My thirties were a time of supporting a family alone, working long hours to provide for children and grandchildren. Because I adopted my sister’s children at 21, I was a grandmother of three by 33. I couldn’t dream of going places and having time to myself, with so many people depending on me. But I did start college in my thirties.

Today, in my seventies, I am retired from my beloved teaching in colleges and universities, and I am free to roam the world and sit on beaches with not a care in the world. Yes, I have aches and pains, but I have learned through the years how to compensate for life’s unexpected problems with little interruption to my dreams. The last two months spent exploring every region of Portugal couldn’t have occurred when I was younger, and I do envy the young people I see on my travels, but more often than not, they are accompanied by fussy children who are not the least bit interested in traveling.

I feel blessed to have only my husband and me to worry about when we travel. We do separate adventures, so we don’t have to spend every moment traveling together. This is the time of my life! It is a time of enduring hope that tomorrow will be better than today. So, I would tell the young Regina to be of good courage, because the best is yet to come. Getting older can be a challenge, but by this age, we have learned how to endure and to take each day as a gift and a blessing from the Lord, our Creator.

Copyright ©
All posts on my blog, Help From Heaven, are my intellectual property protected by copyright. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express written permission from the author and/or owner of this blog is strictly prohibited.