“Whining is not only graceless, but it can be dangerous. It can alert a
brute that a victim is in the neighborhood" - Maya Angelou
Why do I care about aging gracefully? Because I’ve found for myself that I have more fun when I approach all things with grace. Coming from a place of grace gives me a strong sense of gratitude and allows for the pause that refreshes, so to speak. When I’m being in grace, I’m not in that ‘bull in a china shop’ space where I never slow down long enough to really enjoy the process. And don’t you agree that, as older adults, the process needs to be just as worthwhile as the end result? I want to have fun along the way. The end result can be the icing on the cake, the cherry on top or the cat’s meow, etc. Ok, enough metaphors for this week!
Perhaps it’s best to define grace as what it isn’t rather than what it is. It’s definitely a subjective word. To me, grace isn’t about money, or where you went to school or if you have friends in high places. It isn’t about the car you drive or the clothes you wear. And, yes, you can still live in grace even if you know nothing about wine, or art, or fine dining. To me living a graceful life is all about an attitude.
A graceful life is characterized by a cornerstone of gratitude. All things in my life spring forth from a strong sense of appreciation. I don’t take for granted my freedom, or my health or my friends or the ability to read and write. I am thankful to be surrounded by beautiful things to look at, free things that change throughout the seasons.
These are the ways I remind myself to be grateful for as I age:
In order for gratitude to be fully incorporated into my life I do the following things every day:
- Acknowledge, either when I first awake or right beforegoing to sleep, that my life is full and fun and that I
am blessed with an abundance of love
- Share the resources I have available to me be they time,
money, energy or knowledge
Patience
Second most important in a graceful life is
