I recently celebrated my 65th birthday. For those who haven’t yet entered the AARP years, 65 is a pretty significant number.
At age 65 (or 3 months before), most people become eligible for Medicare. But let me assure you, the organizations that sell supplemental insurance have been tracking you for years. You will begin receiving ads and official-looking letters not long into your 60s. Get a bigger recycle bin. You’ll need it.
It used to be that 65 was “the retirement year.” Not so much anymore. I won’t be retiring anytime soon, as I didn’t bother to put anything into retirement savings until I could afford to, which was well into my 50s. So I’ll be working until I’m about 86.
For those of you who are turning 40 and whining about needing glasses or that extra 10 pounds that just won’t come off…get ready for a heavy dose of reality at 65. Not only are your glasses tri-focal, but cataracts and floaters make your vision like you’re looking up through murky water.
And that extra 10 pounds becomes 40 pounds if you didn’t make some changes in your lifestyle back in your 40s and 50s. Most of us in our mid-to-late-60s have some chronic condition like hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, or some type of cardiovascular issue. And many of my friends sport at least one “replacement” part. Thankfully I received some great advice in my early 50s, and I have good health today, but it can all change with one slip sideways off the curb.
Take some advice from someone who is definitely older, maybe a bit wiser…
Get off your butt. Start moving while you still can. Lose a few pounds if you need to. Eat healthier. Say “no” to desserts once in a while. Choose fish or chicken when you can. Drink more water. Drink less alcohol. Don’t smoke. For God’s sake, don’t smoke.
Put down your phone and spend intentional time with your friends and family. Read good books. Spend time in nature. Meet your neighbors. Volunteer at the food pantry or homeless shelter or pass out meals at the Salvation Army. Play games with your kids (or grandkids). Start a new hobby. Get rid of the junk in your basement.
Travel now and don’t put off that big trip you want to take “someday.” Someday never comes, and then, at 65, you’re looking in the rearview mirror at all the fun trips you wish you’d done.
As I’ve aged, I’ve realized the need to learn new ways to remember things. I know I don’t have any significant cognitive decline, but I’m not too proud to admit that I can be forgetful at times. So I’ve learned ways to cope. I make lists of what I want from the grocery store. I take pictures of the new bathroom vanity I want. I write down my computer passwords. I take the card my hair stylist and chiropractor offer me that tells me when my next appointment is. I won’t lie to myself and say, “I’ll remember that,” because I won’t. Halfway to my car, I’ve already forgotten.
There is much to enjoy about this new season. I’ve become less concerned about what others think. No worries about growing out my gray hair since I did that in my 40s. I say “yes” more often for things I want to do and “no” when my social currency is spent. I wear more pink (my granddaughter’s favorite color). I continue to learn new things every day so I can be hip and cool into my 80s.
I’m grateful for every morning, spending my first hour in Scripture. I’m grateful for every evening as I lie down next to my sweet husband. I’m thankful for walking and running. Sleeping and waking. Working and playing. Growing and flourishing. Ok, 65, here we go!
The greatest gift I received from my mom and dad was not my outward appearance, my good genes, or any present wrapped up with a bow. The best gift passed down to me and my siblings was a sense of humor. And I pray I passed that gift on to my children.
Ordinary Life Extraordinary Destiny 