"I will never be old. To me, old age is 15 years older than I am."    

I first heard this quote soon after my black-balloon birthday arrived over a decade ago.  A time when many moaned and groaned about being "over the hill," I just wasn't feeling it.  I was in pretty good shape, colored my gray hair, and still felt thirty-ish behind my eyes. Sounds pretty good - so what's the problem? 

It seems as if Father Time decided to start sprinting instead of jogging, and now I have reached the next decade way too early. I'm still comfortable with my age - not like one can run from it; however, I do find myself obsessing a bit more about the process of aging and how it varies from person to person.

This may sound weird to some, but since I have become a more "mature" person,  I find myself watching "old" people, noticing if they walk upright or if they stoop over. Do they look happy or sad?  I catch myself evaluating middle-aged folks as well. Do they still have pep in their step, or do they move as if they are swimming in a sea of molasses?  My conclusion - which I already knew but didn't deem important until it applied to me -  is our minds and bodies will definitely fall apart, or rust as my mama likes to say, if we don't take care of them.  

"No one can avoid aging - but aging productively is something else." (Katharine Graham) No matter how hard we try to find it, there is no fountain of youth - no magic pill we can take to keep us young, but there are things we can do to take ownership of how we age. Will it be an easy task? 'No Way, Jose.'  In fact, you will battle with your mind and body daily until you start to see the results of your efforts.  "Growing old ain't for sissies." (Bette Davis)  But I do know from my observations, as well as my own personal experience, it will be worth the fight. 

So how do we prevent the erosion of our lives as we age?   "To resist the frigidity of old age, one must combine the body, the mind, and the heart. And to keep these in parallel vigor, one must exercise, study, and love." (Alan Bleasdale)

First, let's think about our bodies. We don't even have to look in the mirror to know what kind of shape we are in. And don't think just because you might not be overweight, that you are okay. Obesity will definitely add to our aging problems, but I think lack of movement can be the real culprit.  If we are honest about it, we will admit that we humans have become just a tad lazy.  "I don't have time" , or "I don't like to exercise" are just a few of the excuses we use to avoid moving our bodies; plus, the age of technology has enabled us to live mostly sedentary lifestyles.  So if we want to be better, we have to 'stand up' for ourselves and for our future - because no one else will do it for us.

Here are a few tips for starting any exercise program:

• Check with your doctor first. If you have health issues already, ask what kind of exercises would be okay for you to do.
• Keep it simple - start with a 10 minute stroll around the block and some simple stretches to keep your joints mobile.
• Look for a gym that offers free access through the Silver Sneakers program. My mom, 88 years young, goes twice a week!
• Find an exercise buddy - to hold you accountable.
• Have a rainy day or cold weather plan. I put on my ipod and get quite a workout by dancing around the living room and pretending I am on Dancing With the Stars. (I give myself a 10 every time!)

Now that we've got our bodies moving, let's think about our minds. "Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young." (Henry Ford)
 
Most of us know that our brain is just like any other muscle. If we don't use it, we lose it. Even though it is tempting to be satisfied with the status quo, the worst thing we can do, especially after retiring, is to let our brains become dormant.  Some of us in the senior citizen catagory of life can be intimated by learning anything knew, especially in regards to technology.  For example, I own a smart phone but have been afraid to try all the gizmo gadgets that accompany it.  We should not let fear stop us from growing our minds. John Adams once quoted, "Old minds are like horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order."  

Here are a few suggestions to help keep our minds working:

• Work some type of puzzle daily. My mom and her sister challenge each other daily on who will solve the Jumbled Word Puzzle in the paper first. I, myself, live to solve the Cryptoquote.
• Round up some friends for fun and games. Even a simple game like Skip Bo can make you think and provide entertainment at the same time.
• Learn to play an instrument or speak a new language. Both of these are appealing challenges to me. 
• Engage in some form of reading - a newspaper or a new novel. Reading is the gateway to knowledge, and we are never to old to stop learning. 

The last but not least aspect of aging is the matter of our hearts - not our physical hearts but our spirits.   "To keep the heart unwrinkled, to be hopeful, kindly, cheerful, reverent - that is to triumph over old age." - (Thomas Bailey Alrich) 

One of my saddest observations is the plight of senior citizens who have "wrinkled hearts" and have lost their sense of purpose. They are easily recognized by the emptiness in their eyes, the hopelessness of their attitude, and the voice of their body language.  I don't want to be that person.   I want to be the person who reaches 100+ years being interviewed on the six o'clock news about the secret to longevity of life. They have a look of contentment on their faces and their eyes still light up with glimmers of hope.  These are just a few of their secrets: "Have Faith...Stay positive...keep a sense of humor...and enjoying a glass of wine every day won't hurt either."   It is clear that the secret has much to do with our attitudes and how we choose to look at the glass. "None are as old as those who have outlived enthusiasm." (Henry David Thoreau)

Perhaps this is my favorite life quote. "And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." (Abe Lincoln)   It doesn't matter if we are five or ninety-five. From the day we are born until the day we depart, we all have a purpose for being on this planet. Our purpose may not be something grand and glorious like finding a cure for cancer or Ebola -  although I pray to God that it will be.  It may simply be to show kindness, love, and grace to the world around us.  Try waking up every morning and asking, 'What can I do today to make someone's life better?'  And then, before you go to sleep each night, count at least five things you have to be thankful for.

We must remember that 'life is a journey, not a destination', and we need to be more like the Energizer bunny and keep on going.   I, myself, intend to stay on the positive rollercoaster of life. Yes, it will have ups and downs, but I will do my best to use my God-given talents to make the most of every day that I am blessed to breathe another breath.  Some of you may already be on the same rollercoaster as me, but if not, I hope you'll jump on and enjoy the rest of the ride. By the way, if you're not sure if you have reached old age, this quote from Harrison Ford might be of some help. "You know you are getting old when all the numbers in your black book have M.D. after them."