Grow Old Graciously

My advice to seniors: you can reap the benefits of aging by keeping active and serving God.

Babysit Your Grandchildren

According to data over a 20-year period by the Berlin Aging Study, researchers discovered that grandparents who babysat had a 37% lower mortality rate than those of the same age who did not. They lived an average of five years longer than those who did not babysit. Since 2003 I have had the privilege of babysitting our grandchildren. The dread of hearing,  “Do you want to play Candyland?” or “Can you color with me?” These questions were part of our daily activity. Watching television shows like Dora the Explorer and Jessie was my life. Playing the part of Jaws, I  swam in the pool with my grandkids and when I caught them, I’d gently bite them. We raced laps in the pool until they blew me out of the water. They were getting stronger, while I was getting weaker.

The Fall

One day, came when I was chasing after my grandkids on skate boards, I took a terrible fall. After that fall I realized that chasing anything was out of  my league.  I was pretty shaken up from the incident and thought a neurological problem caused the fall. I made an appointment with a neurologist who wanted to put me on some medication that might alter my emotional state of mind. No thank you! My mind is already highly stimulated by my real thoughts; putting something like that into my body would only add to the overload. After switching neurologists I was diagnosed with tremors, so I am now taking a mild medication to alleviate the problem.

Exercise

During COVID I got back into a workout routine; walking became my saving grace. I’ve always exercised but it was never a constant. So instead of 10,000 steps a day on the FitBit, I’ve increased it to 12,000. Being a lifelong member of the “exercise hating club,” I’d self-talk my way into working out. It took a while for this to become a habit. Mike, for as long as I’ve known him has always worked out regularly, he rarely misses a day.

If I can stay healthy it lessens the burden on others to care for me. I want to be independent as long as God allows.

Stay Focused On God

When doing godly deeds, He makes time for all of our personal needs. Nothing is put off because you are given special, supernatural graces and energy to finish all your daily tasks. The only difference is that at the end of the day, because of my age, I tire more easily.

I want nothing more than to please God, but every single day I fall short. God knows my shortcomings and the struggles I have in life; this is the main reason I attend daily Mass. It honestly gives me a clean slate. Prayer is a major part of my life but I, like many, get caught up with Social Media. It’s shameful to admit but this is one of my worst vices.

Pray For Others

Part of the calling that the Lord has given me is praying for others. My list is long but throughout the day, the faces of those I pray for flash before me. Or if I’m out and about and see someone who resembles  a person on my list, I say a quick prayer for that person. God is consistently reminding me to pray.

Don’t Let Old Age Restrict Your Decisions

When my mother was in her early eighties she needed a new refrigerator. She was hesitant to purchase the appliance because she felt that she would not get much use of it because she was too old. My siblings and I talked her into buying a new one. As she got older she was hesitant to purchase bananas because she thought they would ripen too soon.

We recently invested in a new dishwasher and the realization of the possibility that this could be the last time we purchase one was surreal. We are definitely preparing to make our life more comfortable as we get older. The thought of death at the door may be something others worry about, but we place our trust in the Lord.

Trust God

Trusting God for everything in my life may sound odd but it does wonders. The Lord has supplied every need in every area of our lives. Whenever I have doubts and slip into a state of unbelief, I resort to a simple “Hail Mary” prayer to bring me back to reality. Many times, because of my impatience, God is teaching me to rely on and trust Him. Impatience has caused me heartache by making hasty decisions and regretting the choices I have made. Obviously patience is a virtue that I struggle with.

Article 7 The Virtues (from the Catechism of the Catholic Church)

THE VIRTUES

1803 “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”⁶² A virtue is an habitual and firm disposition to do the good. It allows the person not only to perform good acts, but to give the best of himself. the virtuous person tends toward the good with all his sensory and spiritual powers; he pursues the good and chooses it in concrete actions.

The goal of a virtuous life is to become like God.⁶³