Aging Well, for Me, Starts With Acceptance
Of course aging comes with bodily changes and even health scares, but the key to move forwad is accepting them.
Aging well, to me, means squeezing everything I can out of life. Even with everything that comes with getting older. Those of us over 60 know things change.
My Body Has Changed
I had perfect vision until my mid-40s. Now I can’t see clearly at any distance without glasses or multifocal contacts. Some mornings I wake up stiff and achy before I’ve even moved.
I’ve had a close call with colon cancer. Arthritis in my fingers . A torn rotator cuff that took almost three years to fully heal.
I’ve had posterior vitreous detachment in both eyes. That one really scared me when it happened.
And recently, after wearing a heart monitor, I found out I have SVT, which stands for supraventricular tachycardia. Basically, my heart can suddenly race much faster than it should, even when I’m just sitting still.
There are days when I miss the version of me who didn’t have to think about any of it. The one who could see without help, move without creaking, and assume her body would just keep doing what she asked of it. But I don’t let myself stay there for too long.
I Ask Myself What I Can Do Now
At some point, I usually shift from “I hate this” to “OK, what can I do now?”
If my shoulder is acting up, I change the workout. If my fingers hurt, I work around them. If I feel tired, I adjust. If I need to go lighter, I go lighter. If I need to rest, I try to rest, even though I’m not always great at that.
Aging well, for me, isn’t about pretending nothing has changed.
It’s about staying active, engaged, curious, and involved in my own life, even when I have to do things differently.
I still lift weights. I still practice yoga. I still walk my dog. I still try new things. I still want to travel, work, create, learn, laugh, and keep challenging myself.
It may not always look the way it used to. But I’m still here for it.
Acceptance Isn’t Giving Up
If 62 sounds too young to be thinking this way, as in “the worst hasn’t happened yet,” look up Candace Lima. She’s 79 and very real about what aging actually looks like.
Whenever I start feeling discouraged, I spend a few minutes with her content, and it brings me right back.
She talks a lot about acceptance. She says: This is what’s happening, so how are we going to live with it? She’s honest about what has changed and is figuring out how to keep going anyway. That´s what I do too.
My Philosophy on Aging Well
Do what you can. Hope for the best. Accept the rest. That’s my personal philosophy on aging right now.
