Most senior citizens deplore the idea of losing independence. Moving from a long time residence, losing the privilege to drive, having to be in the presence of a caretaker or to live in an assisted living facility, all offer insult to the independent character, mind and desire of the senior citizen. Sustaining independence really means [...]
It was the holiday weekend. The phone rang. It was our granddaughter. She simply asked if she could come over and “hang out,” spend the night and part of Memorial Day. Guess what our reply was? That, dear GPs, is one of the privileges of being a grandparent.
These privileges come for grandparents, wherever you live, whatever the age, but particularly so when you are geographically near. On the other hand, how about that high school graduation of one of our granddaughters way off in Michigan in another week. Airplanes, while not the luxury liners they once were, still offer the best choice for long distance travel.
Privileges for grandparents are translated into joy and excitement and fun and good times and memories. They are good for everyone who experiences these privileges, exchanges them, and thrives from them. They are emotional uppers. They are like gifts that never lose their value.
Aging brings with it new fears, threats and worrisome concerns, often over matters that pose no serious consequences at all.
Particularly is this so when it comes to occasions of forgetfulness. Misplacing important items, such as keys or eyeglasses, poses the fear that dementia or Alzheimer’s may be lurking nearby. Not so, some forgetfulness is quite ordinary and predictable. Caving into fear over an occasional misplaced item, not remembering why you left one room to go to another, going outside or into the garage for something you can’t recall are quite normal behaviors of aging.
What becomes abnormal is when we put an item in a very unusual place: keys in the refrigerator, a book in the microwave, your shoes in the shower, shaving soap in the sock drawer, these are reason for pause.
Okay, just give us time! I’m having my own adjustment issues with this new (still under construction) format. It challenges my desire to be a stick in the mud and leave things as they were. I discover this is not uncommon to those of us past 3 score and 10. It will roll “trippingly off [...]
Having done over 200 articles in the previous format, our advisors suggested it was time for a change. So, with a few more tweakings, the new and improved Senior Citizen Journal and Senior Moments will be coming at you within short order. There will be a few bugs to work out, a few kinks (not [...]
For those who have been through the threat of cancer, there are some very disturbing after effects. If surgery were required, there are scars other than that created by the surgeon’s knife. If therapies of one kind or another were required, there are recollections of lost hair and other debilitating experiences. But more than that, [...]
Negative Emotions Create Disease Three of the big time injuries often self inflicted, particularly among the aging, are anxiety, anger and apathy. To be sure there are contrasts in these states of mind, but also clearly they are loaded with such inordinately negative ammunition to be killers.// Each of these emotions work negatively on the [...]
There are so many adjustments in aging that, as it happens, we seem always to be surprised with the next one. Our despair is we wonder why someone didn’t warn us. Why didn’t someone, anyone, give us a hint of what was ahead? Of course, they did. Of course, we didn’t listen or assumed it [...]
The time has come to make a major life change. After deliberate and extensive conversation, much grooming and primping, our Texas estate is on the market. It may be seen in full splendor at http://www.texas-country-estate-for-sale.com/. I invite you to take a virtual tour. This wonderful dream haven requires more of me than I can any [...]
Just returned from walking our two “princes of the family,” a daschund and a papillion, Zeb and Patton. The cool part of the day, in Arizona, is the most desirable time for such exercise, our little daschund, less than ten pounds is the leader of the pack. He is into power walks. Since surgery, it [...]
