March 14, 2008

• Aging Gracefully?

  I often hear about people who are “aging gracefully”.  What exactly does that mean?  Typically, I think we tend to associate the phrase with a certain amount of passivity. Does it really mean accepting the aging process as inevitable, and ceasing to struggle against it?  In that case, my aging process has not been, in my opinion, particularly “graceful”.  In fact, I am fighting it every step of the way.  Yes, I know it is inevitable, and that the alternative to aging is not eternal youth, but death.  So I accept the fact that I am, indeed, getting older with every breath.  I do not dwell on this fact, but I cannot escape it.  Physically, the signs of aging are becoming  very obvious to me.  I’m hit by them every time I look in the mirror.  I’m not always sure I recognize the woman looking back at me.  More and more often when I look into the mirror, I see not my own image, but someone who looks much more like my older sister, or even my mother!  It’s unsettling, to say the least.  And so I do what I can to fight it.  Call me vain if you like.  I prefer the term “feisty”.  J

  Surgery is not an option for me.  It’s out of my price range and I don’t think I could handle intentionally inflicting that kind of pain on myself. Apparently it is an option for a LOT of people these days, and not just celebrities.  Every time I turn on the radio or television I am bombarded with ads for botox , liposuction and other procedures designed to help you “rediscover your natural beauty”.   What?  Cosmetic surgery now creates “natural” beauty?  I am also tired of hearing how this procedure or that cream will “reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles” by some percentage – all “clinically proven”, of course.  I admit I have been sucked in by more than one clever ad campaign into trying some of these miracle over-the-counter products.  I can’t honestly say that I have ever noticed any visible change.  My dry skin is a little less dry, but that is about it.  However a lot of people must be getting very rich because of our society’s obsession with “anti-aging” products.  New ones seem to pop up every day.  Buying into this obsession is not the answer to aging for me.  I’m just helping someone else make money at my expense.  But I have to admit, the illusion of youth is a strong temptation!

  The truth is, there is no fountain of youth.  Period.  There are ways to live longer and feel better, and maybe even delay some of the signs of aging for a little while.  But let’s face it – we all get older.  Here is my “prescription” for anti-aging: 

  • Don’t smoke. 
  • Exercise regularly. 
  • Eat sensibly. 
  • Don’t over-do sun exposure, and when you are out in the sun, use a good sunscreen. 
  • Drink lots of water. 
  • Get a good night’s sleep as often as possible. 
  • Find some way to deal with the stress in your life – I do this in  a variety of ways; I sing or listen to music that I enjoy, I read, pray, meditate or write down my thoughts, I use my girlfriends as sounding boards for the “junk” in my life,  I take walks, I do something creative (like taking photographs and putting them into books).  What works for me won’t necessarily work for everyone, but everyone can & should find some constructive way to “de-stress”.
  • Be nice to yourself. 
  • Do something for others. 
  • Floss regularly (honestly, it makes a difference!). 
  • Smile. 
  • Pay attention to your posture. 
  • Keep your attitude positive and be open to new ideas. 

  I know, I haven’t just discovered some magic formula – it’s all pretty common sense, nothing revolutionary.   But that is my arsenal.  The best thing about it is that it doesn’t require me to take out a second mortgage to pay for it!  Sure, I’ll still balk at the new lines and wrinkles and the sags and bags will continue to dismay me, but I’ll stick with my arsenal and hold old age at bay for as long as possible.  I will eventually lose the fight with the physical aging process, but I’ll fight the mental aging process as long as I possibly can.  And that, folks, is what “aging gracefully” means to me.

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