Old age REALLY ain't for sissies

It always took courage to age from older into elder, perhaps never more so than right now, at least in these United States.  For millennia, "aging in place" wasn't a catchphrase describing helping the aging & elderly to stay in their longtime homes, it was day-to-day reality.  

Today, my older friends have to draw on resources our ancestors never imagined.  One of my grannie clients lives in a very nice "enhanced living" residence that offers all sorts of interesting & engaging programs and opportunities to keep the mind sparked & the body as fit as possible.  Praise be, she enjoyed participating in a lot of them, from art classes (she's good!) to weekly talks on contemporary religions to musical events in the snazzy new auditorium.  For years, she enjoyed the weekly current events discussion, hearing people discuss national & world news. 

One reason she's so engaged is that her family supports her being as independent as possible.  They scour the monthly & weekly calendars for events she might appreciate, do everything they can to get her out into the larger world, put her cherished sense of independence above keeping her safe.  They ALL do - I'm just as likely to get a note about an upcoming author's presentation from a son in a far-away state as from one just down the road.  

My own mother was a pretty gutsy lady, but even she needed a push out into the world after taking a fall that shook her confidence. 

When I look at older friends & pleasant acquaintances who live all by themselves & enjoy lives that are in the world & of the world, I appreciate their courage in showing up when it is so much easier as you edge upward in years to just stay put (the worst sort of aging in place).   What can we - youngers & families  & communities - do to help boost that courage?

Old age ain't for sissies.  Nor for the sadly solitary - too often including folks with lots of family - either.    

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