IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN to bring about awareness of our elders as we celebrate Older American’s Month. Believe it or not, 2023 is the 60th anniversary of this special month, as it was first proclaimed by President John F. Kennedy in 1963 as Senior Citizens Month. It eventually became known as Older American’s Month. The theme this year is Aging Unbound, and the purpose is to take a look at the expectations and stereotypes around getting older in America with an opportunity to emphasize the positive aspects of growing older. The title change for the month is itself an attempt to put a positive spin on aging, elderhood, senior citizens, etc.
In my 50 years of working in the field of gerontology, I have had to change and adapt some of my own expectations and stereotypes of aging, and as I move further on in the aging journey, I find myself still encountering ageism on many levels, especially in health care, media depictions, marketing, education, and just about anywhere I interact with people. (If I had a dog, she would probably be the exception with her unconditional love.) Perhaps that’s the solution to any or all of our prejudices— unconditional love. I’d even settle for whatever love a person is capable of at any given moment or situation. How about you?
I recently came across a mission statement from an elder-care system that bravely uses only six words to express their mission: Do ordinary things with extraordinary love. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful attitude to wake up with in the morning, go to work with every day, a good way to treat others and yourself? Perhaps this attitude would help us see our aging as the gift it is, a precious time in the second half of our lives to be free of the expectations and stereotypes we have grown into and become aware of the many ways we can truly become ourselves.
I am especially aware of the need to tap into my spiritual life as I move toward being an elder unbound by other people’s opinions, finding new interests and ways of doing things, doing what I want to do when I want to do it, not bound by calendars, dates, and schedules. To take time to pray and reflect and enjoy this wonderful planet on which I live. To take the opportunity to enjoy this time of my life with a sense of humor, which I consider a prerequisite to growing old gracefully. A final goal may be to be a loving, embracing, elder—Aging Unbound.
You think you know stress? When I grew up, if you missed a TV show, you just missed it. Forever.
I burn about 2,000 calories every time I put on fitted sheets by myself.
How to parallel park: 1) Just park somewhere else.
The biggest lie I tell myself is: “I don’t need to write that down, I’ll remember it.”
I choked on a carrot this afternoon and all I could think was, “I bet a donut wouldn’t have done this to me.”
I don’t know how to use TikTok, but I can write in cursive, do long division, and tell time on clocks with hands…so there’s that.
(From a collection of my favorite wise and funny quips. SMT)
Sister Mary Thill is a Sylvania Franciscan Sister. She can be reached at mthill@sistersosf.org. ✲
