What is your attitude about old age?

Hey Dave: 

What is your attitude toward old age? Is it something to avoid thinking about, or a stage of life to be honored? Do you think most people are in denial about their own aging?

Becky

Hi Becky:

I co-facilitate a "Growing Old Gracefully Peer Support Group" for people over 66. We are a small group of 8 people who are meeting weekly for 12 weeks.

The period of life from 65 - 75 is sometimes called "The Golden Years" and I recently saw a study of men in their late 80s who said that being 80 was the best year of their life.

How older age goes for a person probably depends a great deal on their health and their economic and social situation. 

I like to think of the later stage of life as the "harvest" stage where a person can reap what they have sown. You make your bed and lie in it. But I don't personally or professionally in my career as a Psychiatric Social Worker find this to be true. People experience great changes over the decades of their lives and new challenges are constantly arising.

I like Ken Wilber's observation about "growing old" and "growing up." If people have grown up as they have aged they are beautiful and inspiring to behold. If they had merely grown old without growing up, It seems somewhat sad to me but who am I to judge? I like to believe that whatever happens as time passes we all are doing the best we can do.

The loveliest thing I notice in myself and others as I have grown older is gratitude. When people are grateful and count their blessings however meager they may appear to be, they usually have more satisfaction, fulfillment, and peace.

Peace be with you,

David Markham

Editor’s note: This is a first in a series of articles in question and answer format which I am tagging as “Hey Dave.”