What´s the best way to develop a healthy perspective on old age? Spend more time with elderly people and discover what brings meaning and pleasure to their twilight years despite the losses, both physical and social, they may have suffered.
That’s what two authors of inspired and inspiring books about aging discovered and, happily, have taken the trouble to share with those of us likely to join the ranks of the “oldest old” in the not-too-distant future.
Two inspiring books about aging
The first book I read was
“The End of Old Age” by Dr.Marc E.Agronin, a geriatric psychiatrist at the Miami Jewish Home whose decades of caring for the aged have taught him that it is possible to maintain purpose and meaning in life even in the face of significant disease and disability, impaired mental and physical functioning and limited participation in activities.
The second book,
“Happiness Is a Choice You Make,” was written by John Leland, a reporter for The New York Times who spent a year interviewing and learning from six of the city’s “oldest old” residents – people 85 and above – from diverse cultures, backgrounds and life experiences.
After reading the books, I have a new way of looking at myself: as a “good-enough” aging adult who continues to pursue and enjoy a variety of activities commensurate with the limitations imposed by inevitable changes in body and mind that accrue with advancing years.
Aging, a catalyst for rich new activities
There are activities I once loved that I can no longer do, or necessarily want to do, like tennis, skiing and ice skating. Bu I can still walk, cycle, swim, and frolic with my dog, activities that have resulted in many unexpected pleasures and new friends. I can accompany my grandsons to museums and delight in their knowledge of the Impressionists they studies in a high school art class.
I already know that if and when my physical abilities become further curtailed, I can still enjoy meaningful conversations with these boys. They may know how to reset my cellphone or find hidden channels on my television, but I can help them put their Life experiences in perspective and support a decision to leave their comfort zone and take risks that offer growth potential.
Citing the work of Laura L.Carstensen, founding director of the Standford Center on Longevity, Mr.Leland writes that “older people, knowing they face a limited time in front of them, focus their energies on things that give them pleasure in the moment,” not on a future that may never be.
Read full article by Jane E. Brody at the New York Times: