By Beth Pinyerd
I am so very thankful for the many opportunities I have had to be around senior citizens during the years.
One truth that has been pointed out to me is that I am a senior citizen too! I am in the senior citizen range of the Baby Boomer generation because I was born between the years of 1946 through 1964. We Baby Boomers have different expectations of our retirement years than previous generations. But, there are a set of standards that we have seen the Greater Generation model and live out that we Baby Boomers can adopt as our goals.
Care for yourself. Stay physically and socially active as much as you can. Physical activities help us to maintain overall good health.
Care keeps us balanced and flexible which keeps us from falling and too, we are able to continue to engage in everyday activities. Learning what is good for you nutritionally and eating well as you age increases many health benefits such as increased mental acuteness, resistance to illness, higher energy levels and better management of overall health needs. When we feel good, we have a more positive outlook which leads to increased health benefits.
Laughter and a sense of humor produces many health benefits. A good, hearty laugh relaxes the whole body by releasing physical tension and stress. Laughing is good cardiovascular exercise! Genuine laughter is infectious and a key ingredient in promoting many social benefits.
Hope as you age. Stay encouraged. As we age, this is a time that we can enjoy being the “person” we have always desired to be and learned to pace ourselves so we don’t get overtired. We are kinder to ourselves.
Resist giving up on life. In spending time with my elderly friends, I have asked them what is the secret of enjoying daily life as they age. The immediate response is “don’t get tired of doing what is good.”
Health may present many different challenges, but don’t get discouraged and give up. Keep thoughts on good memories and “hopeful” promises! All experiences in life help you whether good or bad.
Involve yourself in worthy causes. As we Baby Boomers approach retirement, we must remember it may be closing a door on a career path or job, but it is opening up another. God isn’t finished with our lives because we reach a certain age to retire.
We may reinvent ourselves according to our needs in a sense of self-fulfillment. It’s never too late to pursue our dreams!
Stay the course. Embrace growing older by accepting help when needed. As we Baby Boomers age, it is important to listen to our older friends, the greater generation. Because they have walked the path of aging in life, they can make well-informed decisions and they know what is important and what is not.
Take time to notice the world around you or “smell the roses” as the old adage goes. Embrace getting older by having less stress. Less stress in our older years gives us more time to enjoy hobbies, family and friends.
Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold. Establish bonds with family and friends. It is so good to have that support system of love and peace that provides us a sense of security.
Aging is inevitable, it is something we don’t work for, but it just happens. We Baby Boomers are a large generation in numbers and it is forecasted that we will redefine elderly care on a daily basis as we approach this stage of aging. As Baby Boomers, it is good to understand what aging is, prepare our futures by listening to others, and to live our lives well by contributing and helping others.
Sharing with others as well as mentoring those who are younger than we are is wisdom that we Baby Boomers can share from a different perspective so that others will learn from and appreciate. Wisdom from the life we have lived and the experiences we have had provide us with a broader perspective so that we can help and give back to our communities and society to make it a better place to live for future generations. We as Baby Boomers have learned that it is better to give than receive.