Just a thought… Happiness is pretty simple: someone to love, something to do, something to look forward to. [attributed to various sources, primarily Alexander Chalmers and Immanuel Kant]

While scrolling through Threads last week (the kinder, gentler alternative to Elon’s former Twitter, now X) I came across some wisdom from an account called @memaw_talks.

Sitting on her deck, she shared on video the thoughts of an 86-year-old who had just marked her birthday with great celebration and joie de vive. The woman who posted, who’s 64 (which my Gracefully and Frankly partner Lisa and I will be this fall) said she asked the woman how it is that she so fully embraces aging. You may have heard Lisa and me talk about it in Episode 189 but I realize not everyone here has caught on to podcasts (you are missing a WORLD of great stuff, I promise you!) so I’m going to share that wisdom again here, because it’s worth hearing, reading and re-reading. If you have a comment on any of this, please do to go our G&F website, scroll down to the button and leave a voicemail. We record on Tuesdays, so if you’re going to, do it today, okay?

Here’s that list, and I tell you every single item in this resonated with us loudly and clearly. I bet they all will for you, too.

1. Have something that still needs you.

A garden, a pet, a friend, a project: something that gives you a reason to get up and be part of the day.

2. Make friends of ALL ages

Every generation brings something different into your life. Don’t let your world get smaller just because you’re getting older.

3. Your children are supposed to build lives that don’t revolve around you.

You raise them to have lives of their own. LET THEM and make sure you keep building one of your own, too.

4. Take pictures of ordinary days.

Say the good things while people are still here and don’t save the stories or compliments or the “I Love You’s” for when somebody’s gone. Some day the ordinary days are the ones that you will miss the most.

5. Don’t spend your Healthy years preparing for your OLD years.

Spend some of the money. Take the trip. Try the thing. Use the body that you’ve got. Don’t get so busy preparing to be old that you forget to live while you’re still able to.

Lisa and I had so many thoughts on each one, but especially #2. The most amazing people Rob and I have met since moving to BC have been our elders: one who passed away at 99 (Mira) and another here on our cottage road who’s a feisty and loveable 84). So older friends are important as well, but Rob losing two hockey buddies in their 80s within four days broke his heart. It’s all in the balance.

And as for #5, of course we save for the days we need senior care. But Lisa brought up an 84-year-old fellow she knows who has more money than he’ll ever spend, but is so miserly that he isn’t enjoying a cent of it. Again, the balance is in there somewhere; it’s just a matter of knowing what you’re comfortable with, right?

If you have thoughts, please do share them. We love your input and it makes what we consider a pretty darned good two-person production a whole lot better!

About the five – don’t you just want to print it out and meditate on it every day? I know I do – and thanks for coming by this week. Talk to you Thursday and hopefully hear from you before then!