Page 102 - South Mississippi Living - November, 2024

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THE
story by Holly Harrison
and Shannon Stage
None of us can escape aging, but we sure do like to try. We hear all about what we should fear as the years go by and
every day there seems to be a new potion or procedure that
will magically turn back the hands of time. But as William Wordsworth so eloquently said, “The wiser mind mourns less for what age takes away than what it leaves behind.” Lean into the natural process of aging, we say. Gather up some fortitude, bring on some attitude, and get on with it!
Aging and dying are not the same. Scientific research makes a clear distinction between the two. Aging is the gradual decline in physical and mental abilities while longevity is how long we live. The latter is influenced by our genes while aging does not seem to be. Aging is more random and connected to environmental and social factors. So, what does tell us about living our best lives in our golden years? Well, if we do not have as much influence over how long we are going to live as we would like, we can darn sure decide to be happy on the trip.
Aging gracefully is a newer term in our culture that can mean
a lot of different things. The simplest definition may be that one embraces reality and makes decisions that will make them happy. It means being open to change and being flexible, understanding we can be positive about the future if we want to be.
There is a lot of information swirling around about the
factors that are known to contribute to our mental and physical health and how satisfied we feel with our lives. Good nutrition, physical activity, lifelong learning, and reducing stress just to name a few. But just as important, and some studies report even more important, is the strength of our social and interpersonal relationships. The size of our extended family and our social network matters. Partnering a focus on the people in our lives with a commitment to simplify our lives may be the ticket to a more enjoyable journey because our ability to love and be loved does not diminish with age nor our capacity to experience joy.
It is good for us to slow down at some point and change the
102 | November 2024
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