Diana Walters
It took me a while to realize I’d slipped passed what is commonly referred to as “middle age.” When I turned 60 it dawned on me that I was in the exact middle of my life—if I lived to be 120. I’m prepared to do that if the Lord has it in mind, but since that’s not likely, I’m looking middle age in the rearview mirror.
Middle age lies between 40 and 55. After middle age we are saddled with the dreaded “old age” label. I don’t believe old age arrives with a roar.
It’s sneakier than that. It begins with a subtle murmur.
We find differing opinions as to the timeline of “old age.” In the past we were all lumped together as “elderly” once we reached 65. (It really annoys me to read in the newspaper about an elderly person only to discover they’re my age or younger. Elderly my foot!) FYI: the term “elderly” is outdated in most circles.
There are stages of old age, just as there are stages of childhood. Some sources say old age can be broken down into three stages: young-old (55-65), middle-old (66-85), and old-old (85 and older). At 77, I guess it could be said I’m in mid-stage, but I object to that designation. I feel too young to be old.
No matter what number we assign middle age and old age, we’ve got some living to do. Yes, Virginia, there is life beyond middle age (and Santa Claus exists too.)
A song from the 1960s musical “Bye Bye Birdie” says:
“Life's a ball, if only you know it!
And it's all just waiting for you!
You're alive, so go on and show it!
There's such a lot of livin' to do!
Such a lot of livin' to do!
What a lot of livin' to do!”
Whichever stage we’re in, we have a responsibility to use wisely the time we’ve been given. And preferably with a “glass half full” not a “glass half empty” attitude. It’s not always easy to remain positive, of course. As we traverse the path of senior-hood, we’ll encounter some bumpy terrain.
But like other life stages, we’ll discover how to do aging by doing it. And maybe we can help others along the way by sharing what we learn.
A dear friend who recently passed on to her Eternal Home taught me some lessons about aging. She knew where she was headed and was prepared for the journey, but Margie always said she wanted to keep laughing and learning until her final days. And that’s what she did. Just a few days before she died she attended a social group I lead at a retirement facility. The members share life stories, laugh, and pray together.
My message to you (and to myself) is to emulate Margie by learning and laughing and sharing as long as possible. And then, like Margie who lived to be 104, you will remain young at heart. We really do have a lot of livin’ to do—no matter what our age.
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Diana Walters retired from paid employment at age 76. Now 77, she is again working half-time, volunteering, writing and spending time with her husband. She believes we all need a purpose to get up every day and not having one is the downfall of many a senior. One of Diana’s purposes is working on this weekly column. She enjoys hearing from readers and can be reached at dianalwalters@comcast.net.