Appreciation

Acceptance and Appreciation of the Richness of Life

In the course of my everyday life, especially in the process of the job that I carry out three days a week, I have the joy to meet and to converse with many people who most would call elderly but who I prefer to call the elders of our community. And during the course of whatever form our relationship takes I get to hear much of their life story and as a result, I am more often than not totally amazed and inspired by the richness of the lives they have lived. Many have come to accept how their lives have changed and where they find themselves now, but some are really struggling to accept the changes that have often been forced upon them as a part of the ageing process. They want life to be as it was but deep down there is a sadness in the knowing that it will never be the same again, and so perhaps they are closed down to the fact that there could still be a most wonderful life to be lived until their last breath. Continue reading “Acceptance and Appreciation of the Richness of Life”

Falling in Love with my Ageing Feet.

So why would I write about a blog about my feet you may ask? I have asked myself that question a few times since the idea dropped into my ‘Ideas for blogs’ folder a few weeks ago. After a moment of consideration, I replied to myself – why not? – after all, I get the feeling that for so long I have taken my feet for granted; that there have not been many times when I have taken into consideration the massive job that they do to support me in my everyday life. In fact, with every footstep there they are, right with me as I move. Left, right, left right………..you get the picture? Continue reading “Falling in Love with my Ageing Feet.”

I’m Ready, I’m Willing – but am I really Able?

‘Ready, willing and able’ is a saying that I have heard many times over the years and you probably have too. And I know that on occasions, I have used it as well. But as I am growing older, I am starting to realise that sometimes I am having to rewrite the ‘able’ bit, as there are days when my able-ness is not equal to my readiness and my willingness. And that can feel rather frustrating to say the least.

This state of bodily affairs has snuck up on me rather quietly and a little too quickly it feels. The ‘young woman’ who I still feel I am inside, is now having to come to understand, often the hard way, that she has to stop and listen to her ageing body if she wants her life to flow smoothly, without getting tired and without setting off discomfort or even pain in her body. A big lesson and one, that in the process of talking to others, I am coming to understand that many find challenging to learn. Continue reading “I’m Ready, I’m Willing – but am I really Able?”

Planning Today – for not being here Tomorrow.

I had a big wake-up call recently as to the fact that there is always a possibility that I might not “be here tomorrow”—in simple terms—I may have left this life, not just because I am an ageing woman but through an accident or sudden health event. This wake up call came about when a beautiful local woman, whom I knew but hadn’t seen for a few years, died in a car accident very close to where I live.

That night as I sat there thinking about her and the wonderful legacy she left behind in the community, I asked myself a question, “If that had been me, what sort of a mess would I have left behind for my family to clean up?”, in other words; was my will up to date, did my family know what bank accounts I have, what outstanding bills, who to call, what to do with my ‘stuff’, and even, what will they think of the state of my drawers, cupboards etc! The list was very long. I soon realised, that even though a couple of years ago I had taken steps to get my affairs in order, they sure weren’t as orderly and up to date as they could be.

Continue reading “Planning Today – for not being here Tomorrow.”

The True Beauty of an Ageing Woman

I got an opportunity the other day to stop and deeply consider what the true beauty of an ageing woman is; and the opportunity came from a Facebook post. It was a photo of two seemingly very old women with their weather-beaten skin deeply etched with decades of lines and wrinkles, and with a distinct absence of teeth, but their faces were alive from their smiles and their laughter. The caption read something like: – “We were young and beautiful but now we are just beautiful”. Their joy-filled smiles certainly had me smiling as I looked carefully at what I was seeing and allowed these words to sink in. Continue reading “The True Beauty of an Ageing Woman”