THE AGING PROCESS

An older woman today told me that ‘growing old is unkind.’

Read into this statement as you wish.

When do you realise that you are growing old?

The aging process is different for everyone. Genetics can play a significant role as well as the way we choose to live our lifestyles.

There are people in their sixties and seventies, who regularly exercise and are conscious of the food that they are putting into their bodies.

You will find that some of these people, are fitter than people half their age.

Then you have the people, who are not in any way ill or disabled, who continue to live sedentary lives, I cannot generalise and say that they all have bad diets but lack motivation to go for a walk or exercise.

In my mind getting older is more apparent when you find that you begin to feel or look differently, to how you once were.

However, there are people who live in denial about looking older as they concentrate on how they look from a distance. That looks like a safer solution.

This would be impossible for me to do as the first thing I do when I wake is clean my teeth and wash my face in the mirror.

You know when you are aging: -

those laughter lines and frowns become permanent,

hairs growing out of unusual places on the face

the liver spots and sagging or lose skin

We can no longer say: -

Bald or greying hair, as this can happen to people as young as twenty.

Arthritis is common as bones start degenerating from the time a person reaches their mid-twenties.

Becoming forgetful can also be down to stress, brain fog or mental heath

Heart attacks, cancers, strokes, diabetes, and other diseases we used to associate with ‘when you are getting old’ are happening to people as young as their twenties. This sometimes can be due the unhealthy choices we make in life. (Abuse of drugs and alcohol)

Personally, if I must look at myself without delusion, I am fortunate with the time that it is taking for my face to age, as that is one reality from which you cannot hide. Thank God for my parents’ genetic make-up.

My main task is to improve my physique with more exercise and a healthier diet. I have found a healthier way of managing my pain through exercise.

“Aging is as guaranteed as death is. Nobody will stay young forever unless they die young.”

I know of someone close, who used to be devastated about looking old, that she was going to make sure she saved up enough money to have plastic surgery when the time arrived.

She suffered from body dysmorphia as she has always looked perfectly normal.

There is nothing wrong in plastic surgery providing you can afford to maintain it because that does not last forever either.

I am not yet old to be able to tell you how it feels but I can only reiterate that if you look after yourself now then you need not worry about when you get older.

Its also about the mindset.

In history, women were no longer appealing once they were married and no longer able to bear any more children. The rest of their lives would be as a domestic slave whilst the men worked and took mistresses half their age.

Nowadays in western culture women are more liberated and live their lives independently without being anyone’s property.

Those who have vigour will be independent and will not abide the ‘second class treatment.’

There are those of us who come from families, who have a longer-life span, and others, not so much.

They say that a woman is most likely to outlive her husband. If I look at this from a psychological view, I can understand this very well.

I must admit that I do not wish for longevity, not in this world today, but I am grateful that I am here and able to share my thoughts.

Life is short enough, getting old will not be a concern if you have your health and happiness. These are the best qualities of life alongside having people who love and support you.

The balance being, live and enjoy every waking day as you cannot guarantee a tomorrow.

I have wasted years holding on to past hurts and resentments.

My decision is to live the rest of my life with respect for myself and others and to enjoy my liberation and freedom of speech.

Living in the best way we can is all we need to do. If we have provided for our future, then we have no reason to worry.

In everything there must be a balance.

Natalie Bleau

The Scripture of Balance