Growing old.
To be honest, in the past I never really gave too much thought to getting old. Of course I figured I would probably grow old because longevity seemed to run in the family, but I never really gave much thought to what that entailed.
I think I assumed that somehow I'd dodge the throws of aging, and somehow maintain my youthful appearance, and abilities. Of course, when we learned about Dad's dementia my eyes were completely opened to the realities of growing older.
Dad really did well up until his early eighties. It became apparent that he was slowing down a little by his mid-eighties, but never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that he would spend the last two years of his life in memory care.
I came across a documentary the other day about a remarkable woman named Flossie Lewis. She was 102 and not in great physical health as you can imagine, but her mental clarity was remarkable. She was a former high school teacher, and a real rebel at that. Part of the documentary showed her and her former students, now aging baby boomers themselves, meeting once again in their old classroom.
Flossie's teaching style came alive as she questioned and challenged her former students. Although, her body was crippled with arthritis, her mind had remained as sharp and analytical as before. Her philosophy was, "Getting old is a state of mind."
As we age none are spared, but obsessing over what is the natural order of things does not seem to be too productive. Living in the future world of what might just be takes up valuable real estate when it comes to the present.
I suppose each future year will bring something new in the aging process, but watching Flossie interact with her students really inspired me.
If you'd like I've included the story of Flossie below.
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