Is There an Art to Aging?

A benefit to aging thanks to Walmart in Bozeman, MT!

It's a beautiful Sunday morning in south Florida and one of those days where the humidity has finally dropped, the smell of devastation from the red tide is gone, and there isn't a cloud in the sky. It's one of those days you'd love to be able to bottle and share around the world where storms, fires, and earthquakes have left a painful path of destruction. In other words, for so many of us not affected by all the natural disasters in the news lately, I just feel lucky and appreciate the life Sheila, and I have.

I'm not sure what got me thinking about aging this morning but to survive it truly is an art form. It takes guts to enjoy the process. The truth is, except for my body creaking for ten minutes when I get up each morning I don't feel any older, and according to my wife and friends, there are some pretty funny times when I'm low on the maturity I should have for an "old fart."
 
A few years back, we were out for dinner with a couple who were our age but acted ten years older. Everything they talked about was aging-related - from what they don't eat anymore to their interests. So, I'm sitting here this morning thinking about what's kept us feeling younger...

• Laughter - We laugh a lot, usually over something absurd one of us has said or done. So often it's related to one of us saying something and the other hearing something entirely different. Sheila might ask, "What do you want for lunch?" but I answer, "My hunch about what?" That kicks off a stretch of hysterical laughter and at least one of us proclaiming how funny it's going to be getting old together.
• Exercise - On June 29, 2017, we started walking every morning for half an hour. We take Sunday mornings off, but we've rarely missed a day, and it does make a difference. We often walk before the sun comes up, which gives us a chance to catch some stunning sunrises like the one above. But there's one more aspect to the morning walk that I love - the conversation during the walk. It always starts with one of us asking, "So, what's going on in your world today?"
• Conversations during meals - It might sound simple, but ever notice couples at dinner in restaurants who don't talk to each other? Often they don't even look at each other - they order, eat, pay the bill and leave. We refuse to become one of those couples. 
• Don't take life too seriously - Obviously, there are times when one of us is stressed, but together we help keep things in perspective. There's a lot of predictability in life, but there's also a lot of surprises, both good and bad. We've somehow developed a partnership in working on things we can change and letting things go that we just can't.
• Stop right fighting - Okay, I admit, I've watched Dr. Phil a little, but his line of "Would you rather be happy or right?" is an ongoing mantra. I grew up a right-fighter in a family of pros, and there was a point where happiness finally became a priority. 
• Surround yourself with positive people - I've written a lot about this over the years, and I feel very blessed to have some remarkable friends who have helped me keep the naysayers at bay. We refer to our house as having a moat around it to keep out the negative people who disrupt our lives, challenge our dreams and live to remind us of our imperfections. When they do sneak in, we laugh about who left the drawbridge down!
• Great music - our tastes are as eclectic as our decorating - a mix of rock, folk, Broadway, new age and Jack Johnson, Jim Brickman, Eva Cassidy, Country and Crosby, Stills and Nash. We've got multiple Alexas playing all day every day, and on Sunday mornings, because it goes back to what Sheila enjoyed as a kid, one of the classic gospel stations are usually playing.

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"Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude."
Zig Ziglar

And there you have it - the secret starts with your attitude. I can't change the fact that I'm growing older and nothing is going to stop the clock. I love our life, and even with its imperfections and challenges, it's the only one we've got. I remember saying to my Dad once, "You never told me as I got older I'd be waking up twice a night to use the bathroom!" He smiled, winked at me and said, "At least you wake up!"

Wishing everybody a day filled with smiles, time with friends and family and especially time to appreciate the life you've got and the potential to take any path on any journey you want! Go for those eleven-second hugs I always write about. If you're tuning in late as a new reader, I read an article several years ago in AARP Magazine that said hugs lasting eleven-seconds or longer are therapeutic. Try it, and you'll see what they meant!

Most important of all learn to cherish time - it's the one commodity that once spent you can never get back. You don't have to focus on every second, just don't waste it worrying about what's going to happen tomorrow!

Note: The sunrise image was captured with a LUMIX FZ1000 in IA mode, f3.0 @ 1/200 ISO 125 I'm using Luminar2018 a lot and love the results, especially with a couple of their presets. I used the "clarity booster" which brings out a little more detail in the sky without over-saturated the color. I just wanted to share the way it actually looked. #WhereLumixGoes #MadeWithLuminar