Happy Birthday to Me!

This past weekend I celebrated a birthday milestone — I entered the Medicare age and am now officially a senior citizen. No more pretending that I am somehow not like “those old folks.”

I don’t like getting old. I don’t like getting tired more easily or having to give up running because of arthritis in my knees. I don’t like not knowing any Jeopardy answers that involve music past 1990.

But it’s not all bad and according to the Bible, old age brings wisdom. I think I have learned a few things in this 65-year journey. So here are:

Millicent’s Top 10 Takeaways on Growing Old

1. Keep moving.

My mother and both of my grandmothers ended up in nursing homes after falling and breaking their hips, so I am doing all I can to keep my bones strong. I take my calcium, swim, walk and lift weights at the gym. Lifting weights is the exercise I like the least, but I’m finding it’s the one that is the most beneficial.

The perks of exercise are more than physical. Keeping active helps me emotionally, socially, and spiritually. Find an activity you enjoy and make it a priority. It might be tennis, pickleball, golf, yoga, water aerobics, or dancing.

Just keep moving.

2. Take time for rest.

The flip side of staying active is taking time for rest. My grandmother on the Hollingsworth side, Mother Annie, used to say that she was going to go take a “stretch out.” I now frequently do this. It involves lying down on the bed for 20 to 30 minutes or more, reading a book and maybe dozing. I get up feeling revived! The hardest part is getting over feeling guilty for taking care of myself in this way.

3. Forgive yourself.

We all have areas in our lives that we wish we had done differently, but we need to accept that we did the best we could with the resources we had at the time. Let go of the past and move forward.

4. Forgive others.

As I have learned to forgive myself, I am able to forgive others. Chances are they were also doing their best at the time. This leads to number 5.

5. Be graceful.

When I was growing up, the boy down the street told me I had the grace of a water buffalo. That stayed with me, and I always thought I was not a graceful person. Now, at 65, I realize that true grace is not in how we dance or move through life but what we give to others – acceptance, understanding, forbearance, and forgiveness. Extending grace to others can mean letting someone cut in front of me in line or letting go of old hurts. Each time I am graceful towards another person I grow spiritually.

6. Accept that it is okay to say no.

I struggle with this because I want to do everything and please everyone. One of the myths of retirement is that I have infinite time and energy. Not true! I have too many things that I want to do but cannot fit them all in without wearing myself out.

I recently heard this wise statement: “No is a complete sentence.” If my plate is too full or I just need some time for myself, I am learning to say no and not explain or feel guilty.

7. Don’t waste time reading badly written books — there are too many good ones out there!

8. Take time to sit and feel the sun on your face, to breathe in the first days of spring and to enjoy each sunrise and sunset.

9. Tell the people you love how much they mean to you. We never know how long we will have them with us.

10. Finally, find your spiritual path.

Sadly, religion has gotten put into a box in our country and mixed up with prejudice, politics, and denominational strife. As I grow into my senior years my spiritual life keeps getting deeper and richer. I have learned that God is bigger than our churches, faith groups, or understanding. He is “one God and Father of all, who is over all, through all, and in all.” (Ephesians 4:6) Push beyond what is too often called religion to find what is meaningful for you.

As a Happy Birthday to Me song, I’m closing with a YouTube video of the old rock group Rare Earth singing I Just want to Celebrate Another Day of Living! Take a minute to sing along.

It’s groovy man!