Happy Senior Citizens Day

August 21 is a celebration of Seniors. Recognizing seniors as a vital part of family and community. This year I entered this group of people, not by choice, it was forced upon me by “Father Time”.

Do I feel like a Senior Citizen? I am not sure, how does a Senior Citizen feel?

The only thing I do not like about getting a year older is my body will not cooperate with my mind. My mind and heart are still 25 years young, wanting to do the things I have always done. My body says different with stiff muscles the next morning. Looking in the mirror each morning, I have a few wrinkles I believe are caused by thousands of hours in the sun working and enjoying life. These few wrinkles show I lived outdoors. I have some grey hair, I have been waiting several years for them to show up. I believe grey hair is a sign of wisdom, not age, and I earned these grey hairs years ago raising my children. There are not many grey hairs, perhaps I have more lessons to learn.

How do Senior Citizens behave? I do not know, as I do not behave as one. There is a reason my grandchildren call me Crazy Granny. I am not afraid or slow to join in softball practice, catch rolly pollies to play marbles, go fishing, climb a tree or try something new. I have even learned how to play different video games.

This weekend, a good friend of mine was invited to go kayaking. She had never been. When asked, she jumped at the opportunity to go and learn. She had a blast this weekend on the lake with a new friend and a kayak.

I believe the secret to staying “young” is to stay active. Keep that body moving, and moving in different ways. During Covid, I started doing Yoga from a youtube channel. I enjoyed it, for me it was a relaxing way to exercise. I still ride my horses, although I am not allowed to get on a young horse for the horse’s first ride (that may happen in two years anyway), I enjoy working with the horse to teach them new things.

Another secret I believe to staying “young”, is not to be afraid to try new things. Just like my friend going kayaking for the first time, and she is a few years older than I am. I have gone kayaking with my granddaughters three years ago. It was fun, we had a blast on the water.

This past decade, I have been in the emergency room for injuries, most were horse related. I had doctors tell me “for a person your age” you are in good health. When I went for a bone scan, again “for a person your age” your bones are very strong, like a 25 year old woman, no worries about osteoporosis. And I ask the doctor, what does my age have to do with my health? I work at eating healthy, I exercise everyday regardless if I want to or not (animals have to be fed and taken care of).

A driving force to staying young and motivating you to exercise and eat healthy is to keep on dreaming. Dreams keep us going, striving to reach a goal, have a new experience. We need to participate in life, not be a spectator of life. We may have some years on us as senior citizens, but we can still live life.

We do have to take care of our bodies and ourselves in order to keep going strong, and feeling younger than what others think we should at “our age”. I am a year old, a little wiser, but I am far from dead.