Admitting that you’re aging is 1st step toward aging well

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September is Healthy Aging Month. It is also the month in which I was born and, thankfully, I’m continuing to age. I often feel conflicted about aging, though. I didn’t when I was younger because aging was as foreign to me as being part of a group of traveling gypsies.

I think there are times when the latter would be more desirable than the realization that getting older doesn’t always mean getting better. It’s not an easy journey and I’m realizing that Bette Davis was right when she said that ‘‘old age is no place for sissies.’’

Today we’re given a lot more opportunities to look younger longer with the help of plastic surgery and more youthful-looking clothing. But if you’ve had too much lifting and tightening, you can start to look as though you just came out of a wind tunnel, and if you dress like you’re 13 when you are really 60, you become a clown without a circus. Downing hundreds of supplements and trying to be an athletic warrior isn’t going to cut it, either. Thousands of baby boomers are having parts replaced because they went overboard.

Yes, we all want to look as good as we can and feel vital and positive about life, but that isn’t the whole enchilada. A lot of healthy aging comes from adopting an attitude that is synonymous with the aging process.

The journey is more than just trying to stay alive longer with pills, potions and the right skin creams and a steady diet of fruits and vegetables. No amount of blueberries, walnuts or omega-3 fatty acids will stave off the inevitable.

It is all right to feel conflicted, to be melancholy and to visit the island of regrets. When we look into the nooks and crannies of our lives, we often find treasures. It may open the door to forgiveness, healing relationships or ourselves. We need to share our wisdom and mentor those who might profit from our encounters with life’s ups and downs.

{josquote}I think often of the word ‘‘legacy’’ and what it means.{/josquote} Having our will in order and making sure the right people get our stuff is not a legacy. A legacy is something less tangible. Who or what will you be remembered for? Hopefully, your life today is creating your History Channel. I want my friends and family to be able to click on to the fun, the laughter and the insights we shared. I also hope that they will be able to say that I contributed to their lives in meaningful ways. That’s what I consider to be the best part of aging! Author, humorist, PBS star and Fortune 500 trainer Loretta LaRoche lives in Plymouth. To share your pet peeves, questions or comments, write to The Humor Potential, 50 Court St., Plymouth 02360, send e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , visit the Web site at www.stressed.com, or call toll-free 800-99-TADAH (82324).

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