We so often overlook our geriatric population – almost see right through them.  And unfortunately, usually all we see is an elderly person.  We should  all remember that even the eldest of our population still probably see themselves as a younger version of themselves.  I know I do, and that’s due to the fact that I am now in the geriatric category myself

I want to blog about my Mother, Pauline, who just turned 93 in May.  Think of the things that she has seen and done.  She has lost a husband, two sons, three brothers and her parents.  Can you imagine?  Through it all, she is always about attitude.  She is of the thought you can be happy with people or you can be sad and alone.  No matter her circumstances, she has chosen happy.

cervasa anyoneAfter my Father died, she was 51 years old and had to literally start a new life.  She had been the proverbial housewife and did not participate in any of the finances, decision making, insurance, bills, etc.  She had not worked outside of the home since a brief stent at 18 as a beautician.  She hesitantly re-joined the workforce and was completely out of her comfort zone.  But lo and behold, she thrived and was very successful in sales for many years.  She loved her job and had a wonderful social life.  During that time, I think she actually went out on the town more than I did and that was saying quite a lot at the time.

To this day, everywhere we go, someone remembers her from working at Leon’s and they all tell her she looks exactly the same.  Through it all she remains one of the most positive and adaptable people I have ever come across and I believe that is the secret to her longevity.  She is a very quiet and reserved person, yet she manages to always do things that are out of her comfort zone.  I thought this picture is a good example.  We were having lunch at a local Mexican food restaurant and I saw the cardboard Corona mariachi players and asked her if we could go pose in it.  Naturally, she said “no way” but after a little persuasion, she was game to do it.  She would really want to fuss at me if she knew I was using this picture.  I just thought it was a good example of her great spunk and spirit. We should all strive to be like Pauline.  I am truly blessed.

This article from WebMD (See link below), I think also makes my point.  Thanks for reading.

Our Guest Blogger this week is Paula Crawford, CHW. She is the Program Coordinator at the Texas AHEC East – Victoria Region, Division of Allied Health, Victoria College.

Link for Further Reading

Live Long and Prosper, The Secrets of Aging Well, Aging Well, WebMD, http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/features/secrets-of-aging-well.

Join us for a real-time discussion about the rather grave question raised by this essay on Tuesday from 12:00 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. See Discussion and SL tabs above for details. Link to the virtual meeting room: http://tinyurl.com/cjfx9ag.