Grace is ”beauty of form, movement, or manner” (Webster).

If we had a choice the majority of people in this world would choose not to grow old. This is a fact of life that many of us try to avoid. Yet, from the moment we are born, we are already beginning the process of aging and dying. This process is cellular.

How we age may be decided by uncontrollable hereditary factors or by the way we live our lives. If we are truly body, mind and spirit, then aging is apart of all three aspects.

Somewhere between the Boomer generation and that of my parents, our culture stopped the sacred tradition of respecting and revering the wisdom of the elders. Extended life spans are bringing new potentials into the aspect for aging with grace, dignity, meaning, empowerment and wisdom.

Today’s elderly save for retirement and move to Florida to die. As Eric Butterworth said, “We have a choice to live in the “entire-ment” of our lives.”

By living more consciously now, by creating with new meaning, purpose and passion, we elders-to-be can experience our lives more fully. We can choose to become more mindful – to listen with our hearts, and to do things that bring us inner freedom and Self Love.

It takes deep dedication to reach a state of peaceful being and to discover the gifts of the soul. Many Boomers, including me, are now working to transcend our pre-conditioned and self-limiting beliefs. This process enables us to become more connected with one another and facilitates us to encourage our parents to do so, as well.

What other reason is there to live so long? In this connection we are aligning with a “Higher Power” or “Universal Consciousness”. In becoming, we can choose to manifest to create a dance of harmony, cooperation, fluidness, and balance and love between others and ourselves. In doing so we are choosing to consciously grow older with grace. The ultimate fountain of youth, after all, is opening up to Love, which is the most powerful healing force in the Universe.

Ways to nurture and consciously choose to age with grace:

  • Fight or resist it?
  • Embrace it – with shame or dignity?

Nurturing the body, mind, and spirit

  • Good Exercise
  • Relax and rest – Rejuvenates the body, refreshes the mind and spirit.
  • Maintain and/or improve spirituality Meditate, pray, dream
  • Focus on and be grateful for what you have
  • Slow down and enjoy the moments
  • Spend quality time with your loved ones
  • Say a prayer every morning for the gift of a new day
  • Say a prayer every evening for the gift of the day
  • Attend worship services
  • Caring with Compassion
  • Acknowledge our feelings
  • Love ourselves and like ourselves with all our flaws.

We must see our loved ones for who they are, what they have meant to us, and for what we may become, treat them as we would like to be treated.

Educate yourself:

      1. Forgive yourself for negative feelings: Anger, Resentment, Guilt, etc.
      2. Forgive your loved one for growing old
      3. Forgive your loved one for depending on you

Treat your loved one as you would want to be treated from the “heart”

      1. Love
      2. Honor
      3. Respect

Avoid compassion fatigue

Maintain a routine

Know your limits,

Plan ahead

Don’t fall prey to the Martyr Syndrome Nor The Victim Mode

Don’t Forget: Ask For Help Before And During Times of Crisis.

Will you choose to provide an example for others, so that all around you may grow into a state of loving wisdom? “I am growing and am choosing to evolve as a human being- won’t you join me?”

Richest blessings

Copyrighted by Gail R. Mitchell

Author

  • Ms. Mitchell began her full-time caregiving experience in the early eighties when her husband was diagnosed with cancer. Later on she became the primary caregiver for her father, along with her mother who had become critically ill from burnout prior to her dad’s passing. In recent years, she cared for several friends with AIDS while continuing to care for her mother and actively providing support, information, referrals and resources for caregivers.

    Gail's leadership on the Internet and her success with Empowering Caregivers led her to found National Organization For Empowering Caregivers (NOFEC) INC in 2001.

    Prior to founding NOFEC, she created the iVillageHealth Chat: Empowering Caregivers, which she hosted for over 5 years. Within a month of hosting she created Empowering Caregivers: www.care-givers.com in 1999 as a resource for caregivers around the globe. Over three million visitors have frequented the website.

    She has presented at national and international care-related conferences and programs and has been a keynote speaker for many programs as well.

    Ms Mitchell has assisted thousands of caregivers online and offline in ways to empower themselves in their roles in caring for loved ones.

    For a list of clients and/or her resume, please contact info@care-givers.com

    Gail's articles have been published in many venues nationally and in Canada. Presently, she is a member of American Society on Aging and National Quality Caregivers Coalition.

    Gail has discovered that there is life after caregiving: She has become a successful ceramic artist and installation artist. She created Crystal Illumination Art to bring the transformative quality of illumination, light and color to the human experience and celebrate its ability to inspire, heal and nourish our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well being.

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By Gail Mitchell