A Settling and Productivity

 

 

 

As I age, I notice how I settle easier.    We can either look at aging as some dreaded reality or we can find ways to make it the best you can.  Decisions become more important and making bad choices can have serious repercussions.  Life just seems to get easier but quality of life becomes challenging as our body ages.  Although we are retired, we still have to keep busy.  We still need a sense of having things to do (purpose of some kind, even if it is planning a get away for the day).  Trying to keep busy is important and not ‘retiring’ totally which can lead to isolation, depression, frustration, etc. 

Doing things that make us happy is imperative too.  Quilt, cook, clean, setting up daily lists of ‘to do’, anything that keeps us busy (not so busy the body cannot tolerate it) and productive.  Perhaps we should say ‘productive” and have that pretty open.    There is something so satisfactory about being productive and being able to say, “I did this… today!”

We can finally put make up on or take our jammies off and get dressed, or not!  We are no longer vain, our body deterioration has made sure of that.  But, looking good makes us feel good.  We are women.  We need to feel our best so looking our best is part of that sense of being positive.  Of curse, you see some of the elderly women with the brightest circles of blush ever, but, that makes them feel good.  Who are we to judge when, sometimes, I am not sure I even brushed my hair this morning? 

I think, as we hit our senior years, we start to refine purpose/productivity and make easier transitions to ‘less is more’.  We allow that we do not have the control we once had, over our body.  We choose how we feel about it all.  I am aware we have more choices and are more kind to ourselves as we hurtle the barriers and make the detours that take us on adventures.  We tend to stress less, or should, over petty things.  We speak up more freely.  We adjust.  We let go.  We surrender.  We learn to liker who we are and are who we liker, more often.  It is not all bad, surely, it could be worse.  We tend to settle for ‘settling’ is happening with or without our control.  So, go out, have fun, be productive in some small way every day.  This is our life and we have to find ways to enjoy ourselves.

©Carol Desjarlais 10. 9. 20