Cherish getting older, some people don’t get the honor

Where are you going on your path toward the older years?

Today while sitting at a restaurant with an old friend we talked about how everyone in the restaurant really looked older than usual.

Of course it was the middle of the day; the children are at school, and any adults are at work. But the restaurant was filled with older adults, no one under 60. Even the waitresses and cooks were all in their older years.

Then we saw an old friend walk by us; he was a minister who had retired a few years ago.

He did not stop to talk as he passed by, and I believe that he did not remember, or was in a hurry as he moved quickly by.  We had just started our meals, and I did not pursue asking him if he remembered me.

Later on I had regrets not talking to the minister because I remembered something he said to me while we walked through the Rose Garden in Delaware Park with some of our patients. He said with a broad smile on his radiant face,  “You are the most inspirational person I have ever met.”

I always thought it was odd for a  minister to say I was inspiring when it was  his passion to be inspiring to others in their greatest time of need such as the pain and suffering of being hospitalized for difficulties of the mind and soul.

But because of his words,  I continued down the path of inspiring ways, trying my best to help others see that there is still time in your later years to have meaningful goals that challenge you.

Doing the same things every day, and seeing the same people

Begin to like the comfort of sameness in your older years; it makes you look forward to the daily tasks, including some of the fun things you like to do. And many people really enjoy going out to lunch (and if you are on a fixed income, lunch specials are great), but challenge yourself to new adventures too!

If you feel bored at times, add something challenges to your life, and it can even be a job.

Trying something that you never did before may shake you up  enough to make your day full and happy.

If you do not want to try working again, volunteer for a cause that you have a passion for. Many people in their later years find passionate things to do that they just stumbled upon.

So be out there with you friends and family, gathering at your favorite restaurants for the daily lunch specials!