Follow Up To My January BLOG about Aging Gracefully

In January of this year I wrote on my BLOG about how to grow older gracefully. I came across some excerpts from a book entitled ( A Long Bright Future ) written by a lady named Laura Carstensen, a professor of psychology at Stanford University which I found to be very interesting, Thought I would share a few of them with you.

She says happiness is not the domain of the young. In fact quite the contrary. According to research on age and happiness older people tend to be happier than young people.

She writes, with the exception of dementia-related diseases, which by definition have organic roots, mental health generally improves with age. Older people generally focus on the essential, don't sweat the small stuff, and enjoy their freedoms when their children leave the nest. She says the empty nest syndrome is atypical, she says children make parents very happy when they are living somewhere else. LOL

She says ( the paradox of aging ) has to do with our perspectives changing. Simply put the less time we have the more we cherish it. I totally agree with that. Things that used to mean a lot to me no longer do, but the things I really care about I care a lot more about them now. The age group that is the most unhappy, stressed, and prone to depression is the 20 something demographic.

Having a good life is as important as having good genes when it comes to age and wellness. Common sense prevails here, if you smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for decades, you'll pay later, same for drug or alcohol addiction and lack of exercise.

( Aging is inevitable ) how you age is not. We have to learn to deal with aging, death is the only alternative.

Having reached the ripe old age of 71 1/2 I feel I can add a few things to her report. LOL

I believe our back ground and circumstances may have influenced who we are but we are responsible for who we become.

All through our lives we make friends, you lose some and some stay on and never leave your side. Old friends are like old wine,they become better with age. So many of my old friends I consider them like siblings.

Every one wants to be happy, no one wants to be in pain but remember you can't have a rainbow with out the rain.

You can not choose the people around you, but you can choose the people you want to be around.

Life is like a flowing river, full of opportunities. It is up to you whether you stand with a bucket or a spoon.

A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

The best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person

Having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.

No matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

Everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile..

When your grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.

YOU ARE MY FRIEND AND I AM HONORED