A couple of people I know, who are ten to twelve years younger than I am, moan about how old they are. That usually makes me roll my eyes. My reaction was a bit different at the most recent such moan: I asked for details, then listened to his story.
aging
The Mirror Exercise
In some class I took at some point in the past 20 years, The Mirror Exercise was introduced. The intention was to learn to love yourself. The assignment was to spend time looking at yourself in the mirror and when you were comfortable, say “I love you” to yourself. Sounds easy, doesn’t it. Let me assure you that it wasn’t.
Why Age At All
Watching my friend revel in her granddaughter lifts my spirits and energy. She is enthralled with her granddaughter’s energy, inquisitiveness, determination, resilience, and sense of fun and adventure. You can see her spirit and energy go up as she looks and listens, too.
I Said That Wrong
You can find a 3-part series called You’re Getting Better – Not Older (and In Style, and Together). After publishing those I realized that while my intention was good, my wording was misleading and contributed to the ageism that runs rampant in the US and around the world.
Getting Better – Not Older – Together
Times have changed when it comes to the discussion of getting older. It’s an interesting evolution that has become more poignant with the COVID-19 pandemic.
You’re Getting Better — Not Older
I used to think that the best part about growing older was that I could make my own rules, like starting dinner with dessert if I wanted. But, I’m finding there are even better benefits of growing older, and they include realizing that while I may be growing older, I’m not getting older — I’m getting better. Better? Yes, better.