Ageing with anger is a specialty of Irish poets, American novelists and, ah, maybe, Indian pilots. For the rest of us, ageing can be an absolute joy.
If we’re fortunate, a sense of grace falls over us. Although enigmatic smiles sometimes betray indigestion or even secret flatulence, they can also suggest that we’ve come to terms with our lives, that we can live with our histories, that we’re not competitive in our legacies and that the world is not only the place to be but by far the best.
Money could be a part of this, but looking at poor villagers in any Asian country, the smile of peace is there; the sense of being a part of a family’s history and its endless future has brought watchful contentment.
Here are a few key reasons that ageing can be a blessing:
1. We enjoy life
Laughing at our own and others’ foibles leads to curious glances from others, but it can make an average day a good one.
My friend recently told me that sometimes, while doing something as ordinary as cleaning her house, she stops and enjoys feeling really happy. We seldom felt this before, if we ever did. We were so busy with living that we did not have time to pause and feel our joy.
But now, we have the time to savour whatever we feel; better still, whatever we think, they no longer threaten us. Life has taught us that nothing stays. The next moment, it’s going to be different. Everything turns for the good.
2. We celebrate what we have
We climbed the mountains; we poked around in a few depths, and we can now relax and stop wrestling with missed promises.
We have nothing to prove. We’ve gone beyond that. You have not grown if you are still trying to outdo your friends. By this time, your friends know you well and accept you as you are, so relax and get yourself and enjoy life by just being you.
Some in our circle of Seniors have not yet reached this moment of self-acceptance. They still try to prove they are somebody, so they get stressed over little things that do not support their image of themselves. They do everything to prove they are better than anyone else and pressure their kids to enhance their image. But because we really can’t control circumstances and people like our kids, we get frustrated and eventually depressed.
With depression comes poor health and sickness. It’s our way of manipulating people and events. Our Senior years must not be like this. It must be enjoyed and lived joyfully. Let the cares and concerns of our earlier lives go and embrace what is, enjoy it and cherish whatever you have.
Nothing like the breath of life felt every morning could compare to all these concerns. Enjoy every day. Remember, we have a limited supply of these, so enjoy every moment.
3. We accept our shortcomings
In our 40s and 50s, mirrors are a tragedy. As we age and gently become self-caricatures, not just physically but emotionally, our weaknesses fit nicely with what we’ve become.
No longer do we have shortcomings. We realize that shortcomings are part of life and will always be there. We know this from experience, so we can now laugh when we look at them. We can’t deny the aching body, the stooping posture, the wrinkled face, the constant reminder of arthritis, and the blurred vision. We do something about them, but we don’t let these stop us from enjoying our lives.
Yes, what we have become is what we celebrate in our Senior years. When we look at each of us, we can observe so many things in our last 60, 70, 80 or 90 years of life. Just as we have reached this age alive, we should be happy. This, alone, is reason to celebrate.
4. We have clearer priorities mainly because we don’t have so many of them.
We have time and space to focus on what is essential, whether learning family or sports nostalgia or the craziness of politics. We can pick our spots. Besides, age has made us realize that only a few things matter. The many things we pursued when we were younger no longer have the same intensity in our Senior years.
5. We accept our grumpiness and go and hide when we feel it coming on.
The random savaging of children, grandchildren and trim adherents is at last controlled.
Age has taught us that most things can be managed. Also, we have less stress, so very few things worry us. We have reached an age when we know we can no longer do much, so we let go.
6. We embrace everything that we are
More searching for who we are? We’ve stopped that. We have accepted who we are, knowing it or not.
I remember the angst of my younger years when we were driven by learning what careers fit us, what I do with my life, how I could improve myself, what job would be fun for me and many more. Now, I laugh at the fact that I still don’t really know myself at my age and will never fully know as it reveals more each time I think I have a handle on what I am.
7. Most importantly, we can reflect on our lives and the ages we’ve lived through.
Even if our own story is not filled with drama, the headlines, achievements, and tragedies of the world that have been our companion can consume hours of review and end with some tentative conclusions or insights that, if we’re cautious, we can sell to the young as wisdom.
So, ageing is not the only thing we have ahead of us. It may also be the best time of your life.
