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Thursday Thoughts: How to Age Gracefully




In three words:  be like Grandma.  My grandma turned 96 years old at the beginning of this year.  It’s one thing to outlive contemporaries; it’s another to do so gracefully.  Grandma has managed to live her life quietly, but with great determination and kindness.


I spent last week with my parents, helping them to move Grandma into their home.  Grandma has been living in her own home, but the slowing down that comes with age and the recent onset of early stage Alzheimer’s has necessitated the move.  


For a woman who once wired her farmhouse attic, losing independence seems unnatural.  However, Grandma is gracious to everyone.  She is cheerful and appreciative of help.  She recognizes that she forgets some things, and it is frustrating to her to not be able to do as much as she used to.  Nevertheless, she has accepted the “new normal.” 


As I grow older, I hope to follow her example of independence and kindness.  With any luck, I have also inherited her genes and will never need to dye my hair!



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Thanks for Grandma!

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Comments

  1. reganAugust 1, 2013 at 7:27 AM

    What a lovely lady! I hope she feels peaceful and safe in her new space! That's all we ever want, right? :o)

    ReplyDelete
  2. DebbieAugust 1, 2013 at 7:36 AM

    Lovely photo!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tamara CameraAugust 1, 2013 at 9:15 AM

    My grandmother will be 100 in three months and she still is such a graceful and proud woman.

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownAugust 1, 2013 at 10:03 AM

    I hope I am that healthy at 96 and by then I may give up coloring my hair! What a wonderful gene to get! That is a beautiful picture of the three of you.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Marisa BAugust 1, 2013 at 12:14 PM

    Beautiful women....!

    ReplyDelete
  6. NancyAugust 1, 2013 at 6:48 PM

    I didn't know either of my grandmothers, so I am a tad bit envious. Soak up all the stories and memories she can share with you - they are priceless.

    ReplyDelete
  7. MarissaAugust 1, 2013 at 9:17 PM

    What a beautiful picture!
    I wish I had taken more pics of my grandmother...

    ReplyDelete

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