“Life is not static. It is always in motion, swirling, changing, evolving, dancing, flowing.” These are the words Joel Conway says about aging. He shared this, along with other inspirational advice, during a virtual Embracing Aging session titled, Just a Regular Guy Talks Aging. His words struck a chord with me. Growing older brings changes […]
Category: Embracing Aging
Finding Beauty in Imperfection
Wabi–sabi is the Japanese concept that encourages people to accept the beauty of flaws and rawness in natural things. Instead of striving for perfection, this belief embraces letting things grow and progress as is, without refinement. David Kalinoski, Associate State Director, AARP-PA, referenced this concept in an interview with me during an online Embracing Aging […]
Using the Word “NO” to Get to the Word “YES”
I’ve always found it rather ironic that saying the simple two letter word “NO” can be one of the hardest things to do. It can surface feelings of guilt, the fear of offending others, and the concern of missing out. Not saying “no” leads to over-booked schedules and calendars filled with “things we should do”. […]
It’s Okay to Try!
While growing up, I often heard the words “it’s okay to try”. In fact, my parents were so supportive of me dabbling in new interests that in retrospect, they may have felt like a pinball bouncing from lever to lever. Don’t misunderstand me. We didn’t have the means for travel, private lessons, and luxury purchases. […]
Be BOLD in Your Aging!
The cover of the October 2020 issue of Better Homes & Garden magazine caught my attention. First, because of its different take on decorating a pumpkin and second, because of its messages, “be bold”, “spice up your fall routine”, and “put a new spin on favorites”. It resonated with me because it aligned so well […]
I Bet You Were Good Looking When You Were Young
“I bet you used to be really good looking when you were young”, was a comment made to Glen Dunbar by a younger woman at a party. Glen was in his fifties. Today, Glen is in his seventies, and that exchange still resonates with him. In fact, Glen shares that last year, a relative in […]
What Would York County Look Like if We All Embraced Aging?
Only 30% of our aging is genetic. The other 70% is related to lifestyle and environment. Because no two people are exactly the same, we each experience our aging differently based on our: Culture Family Housing Finance Nutrition Education Exercise Employment Health Care Experiences As we do, we each deserve choices to help us have […]
There’s an Invisible Barrier Impacting our Aging. Do you know what it is?
We want to live easily in our homes and communities and have the best quality of life possible as we age. But there’s an invisible barrier threatening how we do that. This barrier blocks our job choices, limits our opportunities to do the interesting things we desire, and prevents our community from making policy changes […]
Are the Words You Speak Ageist?
“I dread getting old!” “That elderly man should not be driving.” Do you see anything wrong with the language above? The statements convey ageist messages because they reinforce a social preference for youthfulness. Words do matter We learn new words in two ways: By associating a new word with other words we already know […]
Here’s What I Told Senator Bob Casey about the Impact of COVID on Our Aging Community
As the ranking member of the U.S. Senate’s Special Committee on Aging, Senator Bob Casey’s office reached out to Pennsylvanians who had previously testified before the committee to learn how communities are doing during the pandemic. As honored as I was to testify in 2017 on Aging with Community: Building Connections that Last a Lifetime, […]
