Getting Up a Good Head of Steam

When you were thinking about the life, you would live as a senior, you may have held that idea of sitting on a rocking chair and watching the world go by. That silly idea seems like an ideal situation for people in their golden years by people who did not have active imaginations.

But what is ideal for you from a quality of life point of view is to be active and not to see retirement as a time to stop moving. In fact, there are plenty of good reasons that you should get out and walk every day. If you make it as much a part of your daily routine as your morning coffee, there are lots of significant benefits.

Of course, I have already talked about the benefits of walking for your health. Walking will keep your blood flowing, improve your circulation, do your appetite a world of good and keep your joints and muscles limber and exercised.

What that means is that the more you walk, the longer you will walk. So if you see other seniors around your neighbourhood or in your retirement apartment moving about in wheelchairs or walkers and you don’t like that prospect for yourself, then get out of that chair and get out there and walk.

There are many benefits that making walking part of your lifestyle can bring your way that has nothing to do with health. Getting some fresh air has more wisdom to it than you know. For good solid decision making, there is nothing better than a brisk walk with all the oxygen it will give to your brain.

You should make it a policy never to decide late at night, after a few drinks or when you are upset if you have not gotten out of your home for a few days. Hold major decisions for the walking trail. If you have good blood flow and your breathing is up, giving you good oxygen to your thinking apparatus, you will be at your mental peak to make moral decisions.

There are also social benefits of walking. If you are single, to put it bluntly, walking is a great place to meet members of the different sex. And if you want to meet that gal that has the spunk you have or that great guy who wants to live life to its fullest, you are going to meet those people out walking and staying active. It sounds strange to say so, but the walking trails where seniors go the most are great “pick up” spots simply because it is so easy to join someone interesting on a walk and get to know them in a non-threatening manner.

Use some creativity in where you walk and when. You can work a pleasant walk in with an errand or to see a part of the city you always wanted to explore. If you can still drive, get to know the many walking trails in town and become a regular there.

But more than that, you will get a big kick out of walking every day. The endorphins from this exercise are a great high. And that walk can be great fun and a time to meet new friends and have some interesting adventures as well.  

Be in the moment

My thanks to Tammy for sharing this and to Sarah Kerr, Ritual Healing Practitioner and Death Doula, Death doula for writing these beautiful words

Expected Death

When someone dies, the first thing to do is nothing. Don't run out and call the nurse. Don't pick up the phone. Take a deep breath and be present to the magnitude of the moment.

There's a grace to being at the bedside of someone you love as they make their transition out of this world. At the moment they take their last breath, there's an incredible sacredness in the space. The veil between the worlds opens.

We're so unprepared and untrained in how to deal with death that sometimes a kind of panic response kicks in. "They're dead!"

We knew they were going to die, so their being dead is not a surprise. It's not a problem to be solved. It's very sad, but it's not cause to panic.

If anything, their death is cause to take a deep breath, to stop, and be really present to what's happening. If you're at home, maybe put on the kettle and make a cup of tea.

Sit at the bedside and just be present to the experience in the room. What's happening for you? What might be happening for them? What other presences are here that might be supporting them on their way? Tune into all the beauty and magic.

Pausing gives your soul a chance to adjust, because no matter how prepared we are, a death is still a shock. If we kick right into "do" mode, and call 911, or call the hospice, we never get a chance to absorb the enormity of the event.

Give yourself five minutes or 10 minutes, or 15 minutes just to be. You'll never get that time back again if you don't take it now.

After that, do the smallest thing you can. Call the one person who needs to be called. Engage whatever systems need to be engaged, but engage them at the very most minimal level. Move really, really, really, slowly, because this is a period where it's easy for body and soul to get separated.

Our bodies can gallop forwards, but sometimes our souls haven't caught up. If you have an opportunity to be quiet and be present, take it. Accept and acclimatize and adjust to what's happening. Then, as the train starts rolling, and all the things that happen after a death kick in, you'll be better prepared.

You won't get a chance to catch your breath later on. You need to do it now.

Being present in the moments after death is an incredible gift to yourself, it's a gift to the people you're with, and it's a gift to the person who's just died. They're just a hair's breath away. They're just starting their new journey in the world without a body. If you keep a calm space around their body, and in the room, they're launched in a more beautiful way. It's a service to both sides of the veil.

The check is in the mail

 A Russian and a Czechoslovakian scientist had spent their whole lives studying the majestic grizzly bear. Each year they petitioned their respective governments to allow them to go to Yellowstone to study these wondrous beasts. Finally, their request was granted and they immediately flew to New York and then on west to Yellowstone. They reported to the local ranger station and were told that it was the grizzly mating season and it was much too dangerous to go out and study the animals.

They pleaded that this was their only chance. Finally, the ranger relented. The Russian and the Czech were given cell phones and instructed to report each and every day. For several days they called in, and then nothing was heard from the two scientists. The rangers mounted a search party and found the scientists' camp completely ravaged.

No sign of the missing men. They then followed the trail of a male and a female bear. They found the female and decided they must kill the animal to find out if she had eaten the scientists because they feared an international incident. They killed the female and cut open the bear's stomach... only to find the remains of the Russian.

One ranger turned to the other and said, "You know what this means, don't you?"

"Of course," the other ranger nodded. "The Czech is in the male."

 

Do children need grandparents in their lives? 2

I was talking to my brother today, and he was off to babysit his only granddaughter. Every new parent knows how difficult it can raise kids and grandparents are great at helping to bear some of the load involved. They also have lots of experience raising kids. As a grandparent, I think it is important to take a moment every once in a while, to recognize us for all of our ama8. Mentoring and being role models.

They say it is important to lead by example, and we often excel at this. Many of us are bastions of traditionalism and are more than eager to share the importance of having good morals and values.

9. Teaching children about style.

We like getting decked out in crazy fashions during special occasions. Young people dress extremely casually. Previous generations really knew how to get dolled up for a night out on the town.

10. We offer a sense of stability.

The world is transforming rapidly. However, we can be a steady rock. If a child’s parents are going through a divorce or other traumatic event, kids can always rely on their us to show them love and be there for them. We will always be their grandparents.

11. They care for your needs.

Children who visit us never go hungry at Grandma. We how to look out for all their needs, for example, by keeping food on your plate with love in their hearts. Many of us would give our grandchildren the clothes off their backs if they needed them.

12. Grandparents know how to get involved.

According to a survey by AGA 72% of grandparents “think being a grandparent is the single most important and satisfying thing in their life.” That is almost 3 out of 4 grandparents! We love to get involved in everything our grandkids are doing, from attending sports games to baking cookies.

13. Living in the present.

Time is precious, we only get so much of it during this life on Earth. We watched our kids grow up all too fast, so we know how important it is to cherish the milestones of our grandkids as they arrive. One day it is the their1st birthday and before you even realize it, eighteen years have passed, and they are now full-grown adults. We can teach our grandchildren to appreciate every beautiful moment.

14. They teach us.

While normally, it’s the other way around, sometimes, we even get to teach them new things. However, they can teach us, which provides another amazing way to strengthen our relationship. They can help us learn about computers, smartphones, new cultural trends, or anything really. It’s so humbling to understand that we can take guidance from our grandchildren, who are a fraction of our age. Children are never afraid to admit when they don’t understand something, nor should we be ashamed when we don’t know.

15. Endless unconditional love.

Everyone needs love, and we offer it in spades. The most amazing part is that there are no strings attached to our love, either. It simply is. Just like normal parents, we love our grandchildren completely and unconditionally. Unfortunately, many kids don’t realize just how important their relationship is with their grandparents until it is too late.

Let’s all take a moment to thank our grandparents for all the love they have shown us over the years.