Our society is quick to focus on the negatives of aging. Buy this skin cream to combat those wrinkles, drive that sporty car to reclaim your youth, frantically fight the advance of aging however you can!!
The barrage of negativity against aging is relentless. I believe that while there are some grains of truth in the negativity, there is a bigger more positive outlook to embrace. So I’ve been thinking about some UP sides to aging that are not often mentioned. There have been various studies done that do verify these pluses, by the way, so there is some data to back me up. Here’s a list of a few positives of age:
Better Social Skills… Check!
For instance, it has been found that subjects in their 60’s were better than younger people at imagining different points of view, thinking of different multiple resolutions, or suggesting compromises. Remember back about your reactions with some stressful situation/persons in your life when you were 22. Maybe you argued all the time with your infuriatingly opinionated dad. Even though you loved each other, you didn’t say it much. Now he’s gone, and you would give anything to have a single day back just to talk, yes, even to argue with him. Except now, you would not care so much about being right in those arguments anymore. You understand your dad’s point of view more now, even if you’d still sometimes disagree with it. But maturity has given you a much different perspective, and better people skills. Does our world today need better social skills? Absolutely!
Happier…Check!
Seniors have been found to have better coping mechanisms than their younger counterparts. This can lend to an overall happier outlook than those of younger or middle age. Negative circumstances and setbacks do not impact seniors like those younger groups.
Again, remember younger you? There were things back then that caused you unhappiness and so much angst. I remember greatly worrying about what other people thought, especially as a teen.
Now I wish I had chosen more happiness and not wasted time with things that do not matter in the bigger picture. (Except when you are young, everything is immediate, and there is no bigger picture!) How many can remember, maybe as a pre-teen, thinking, or even dramatically wailing to your parents, “You’ve RUINED my life…”? This might have been a drama about being dropped off at school in the horribly uncool family station wagon, in front of everyone…with the family dog hanging out of the car window no less! Or some other now-forgotten drama that you would not even think twice about now.
Thankfully over the years, seniors have gotten away from the angst, and learned to choose happy. We deal better, having perspective that even bad things do not last forever (and they are learning opportunities anyway). Plus seniors are more comfortable with being themselves, a lesson that younger people are still learning.
More Time for Loved Ones… Check!
Seniors often have more control with how they use their time. Being retired opens up time to spend with family and friends. That previous full-time career was all-encompassing, and left you scarce social time. So a slowed-down retirement with more time can be very fulfilling.
Also a big social source of senior joy is having grandchildren. While I do not have any myself, I can see friends that do, and they thoroughly enjoy it. They tell me the best part is spoiling the grandchildren and then giving them back to their parents. There’s none of the parental duties and pressures of discipline, sleepless nights, or endless school activities. Grandchildren can simply be enjoyed and doted on. Research shows that the grandparent/grandchild relationship is vitally important to a child’s development. Additionally, it is a two-way street that enriches the grandparent also.
Pursue Your Dreams…Check!
Time gained through retirement is available now to explore the dreams and passions that you put off over the years. It may sound cliche, but it is true. NOW is the time to write that book, take a painting class, learn a new language, join a community choir, get your “passport book” stamped in every US national park. It is time to reach for whatever dreams you may have deferred.
Seniors can also be very instrumental in changing the world. One in four seniors volunteers for different causes and activities. I know a retired couple that will RV to different locations as volunteers when their church helps with major cleanups after fires. I know another retiree that tutors immigrant adults in English, and one that volunteers at a food bank. Now is really the time to pursue whatever you never had time for when you were younger.
“I’m a senior, what’s YOUR superpower?”
These are just a few of the upsides to aging. I am trying to resist negative messaging- overt or subtle- that incorrectly tells me that a wrinkle or two invalidates my life. The world still desperately needs what we seniors have learned and can offer.