Yesterday I met my friend for a coffee. This was a good tonic for me and I felt happier after seeing her. She is four years older than me which makes her closer to 80 and we Whats App'd in the evening that we both felt better after a chat for two hours. Who would have thought we would be Whats Apping. I think of my mother a lot. I speak to her in bed and tell her what is going on and ask for forgiveness for being such a terrible daughter in not understanding how hard getting old is. Nothing can ever prepare you for the final years of life even though we all know it is coming. Shrinking skin, tiredness, poor sleep and an uphill struggle against bureaucracy which is the same for all but seems harder for the old when you remember life as it once was when call centres didn't exist, security questions etc. etc. and everything seemed easier.
Writing like I did yesterday is writing being free of the block of what others may have said or written before you. You may see different angles. Also Max Dowman is a young man you may like to see scoring Arsenal's winning goal yesterday which I was watching yesterday evening. It lifted my soul. Good things go on.
You never think of old age as happening to you do you but it does. It creeps up slowly and then suddenly it is here with you.
I think this is a crap post. The choice is take it down or leave it. I wanted to achieve something along the lines of calmness but I failed. I'll leave it up anyway for you to read if you want to. Thanks.
I've been thinking about aging more and more these days. I think perhaps it is due to losing my brother so quickly and unexpectedly (he was 72). I've been eating better and have taken up weight training again ( I used to do it quite a bit but had stopped, as we do, for many years). I know you had adopted an exercise regime and are happy with the results. There are some things we can have some control over, but many that just come with aging bodies and minds. Daunting thoughts. -Jenn
ReplyDeleteYes, we do have some control over our bodies with exercise and improved diets. The exercise routine I wish I had taken up earlier but then, better late than never. But as you say, we do not have control over everything and have to accept that some of it is just the aging process. Thanks Jenn. It is a bit daunting as you say.
DeleteAge crept up on me quietly and slapped me in the face almost overnight once I turned 60. Cataracts, melanoma and now gastric failures. My energy levels are way lower than I have been used to and even a gentle game of bowls now leaves me feeling weary. Still, I can continue to go out walking and enjoy my peaceful surroundings - weather permitting of course!
ReplyDeleteThat is a little bit before we want these age things creeping up on us. I got the slap in the face at 70. It is helped by exercises and diet as me and Jenn, above, were saying but there are other things that are just down to age. I have noticed my hands changing. I think hands are an indicator of age. My skin is shrinking.
DeleteTo my surprise, I was allowed to comment, Rachel. I just retried after getting your email.
ReplyDeleteAs a friend commented when discussing how he was . 'Oh I am just gradually falling apart on schedule'
I am very lucky as I am still free of medication. Although I find I can drop asleep any time, more than I did a year ago. My son comments how strong i am, but I think I must start tai chi or something similar.
Our barn is aging also and is leaking more and more. the result being we are always bailing water, upto a 100 galls aday, when it rains heavily, which it does in Wales. However I think an exercise program would balance the parts of my body that dont get the 'work out'
I kept trying , in hopes on your old blog, but about 6 weeks ago, I noyiced you comment on another blog, so glad you have continued, Rachel.
Oh good to see it worked Kathy. I am glad you found me again. I needed a break for a number of reasons. I too am free from medication and the exercises have improved my blood pressure naturally. I am glad your son has noticed your strength. There are lots of exercises for seniors on Youtube and I particularly like the Japanese which have an emphasis on balance with stretching and gentle movement - a bit like tai chi. I am sure you sleep because you are physically tired from baling out the barn! I sleep ok but not as well as when I worked and slept for 8 hours a night. xx
DeleteWitnessing my parents (and others close to me) getting older means I know what to expect realistically. It also means I know what NOT to do if I want to avoid ending up like my Dad did… but of course, as you say, we have some control but there are still things that simply happen without them being our fault - or our merit.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was not yet forty, the doctor who diagnosed my scoliosis said that my spine was like that of someone about 20 years older. Also, because of my heavily myopic eyes (since early childhood), I had to have cataract surgery in my early 50s, earlier than most. These things are constant reminders of age for me, whether I like it or not, but I am determined to stick to my active schedule and eat (mostly) healthily and keep agile and relatively fit for as long as possible.
The only medication I‘m on is for my eyes.
I think you are doing really well, Rachel; you keep your mind engaged and your body active.
I feel that I could have done better for my mother with the benefit of hindsight but she was a difficult person and never complained and so I did not see all the things that were wrong. Of course now we have the benefit of technology and helpful things like Google to direct us to what signals our bodies are giving to us. My mother died just before technology really took off so she was in the hands of GPs and even to her regular GP she would never open up fully about her problems. I can see from her experience that it is important to look after yourself and I make the best use of information that I can. I think we are much more aware now that health and fitness are in our hands and that lifestyles really do make a difference. It is up to us to act upon the knowledge.
DeleteThank you Meike
I will be 85 on Wednesday. Compared to me you are still relatively young. Old age comes in firs and starts for some and all in a rush for others. My daughter’s 93-year—old father-in-law died at the end of February and then her 80-year-old mother-in-law died two days ago. Both had severe issues but in some ways the husband was healthier than the wife. One just never knows how life will treat you.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think this is a crap post at all.
Fits and starts.
DeleteI am currently at the point where old age seems to be coming in a rush. Hopefully I am now deserving of a pause if what you say is correct - fits and starts. Thank you for your kind words re. the post and for leaving a comment today. I felt that the post didn;t exactly say all I wanted to say and, in fact, cut a large piece out before publishing. Perhaps I should have left it as it was.
DeleteI get your feeling ….totally
DeleteNot so long ago I never felt old.
DeleteThank you so much for sharing this. I am a retired 69 year old lady living in Montreal, Canada ❤️ 😊 🇨🇦
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting.
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