Lessons from Grandma: or Aging Well

Lately, I've been thinking about aging. Just over a month ago, I started my first middle-aged medication (for high blood pressure). It felt like my body betrayed me, especially when I asked if there were any changes I could make. "Well," said my family doctor (who delivered me and still sees my parents), "cutting back on salt or alcohol may help, but you already do everything else. I guess there is something to be said for genetics". My dad started b.p. meds in his 30s and my grandfather had his first stroke in his 40s. Why couldn't I have inherited my mom's healthy blood pressure instead?

At the same time, my father has been going through some mobility issues, needing cast, crutches or a wheely cart to get around. Unfortunately, to enter my parent's house, you have the choice of either a steep hill or precarious stairs. He's been dealing with it and there will soon be a bit of a reprieve, as a longtime family friend is installing a safer set of stairs and a railing (along with some other helpful modifications). In the long-term though, the house would be nearly impossible to make accessible (without lifting on stilts). Hopefully it won't be a problem for decades...

My model of graceful aging is my grandmother. Grandma is in her mid-80s, but you'd never know it. She works from home, tends a garden and is the linchpin of the bell choir at my aunt and uncle's church. She rarely sits still. Up until about five years ago, she cooked the entire Christmas and Thanksgiving spread every year. When the family finally convinced her to accept help, she still cooked everything she always did - we just had more food. On the way home from my aunt's annual New Year's Day dinner, I remarked to one of the other guests, a nurse in her early 60s, "I hope I have the kind of energy my grandma has when I'm her age".

"Heck," she responded, "I wish I had that kind of energy now.

I just finished reading What Makes Olga Run by Bruce Grierson, about a 93 year old track star. "Trent, do you think Grandma would ever do something like that?"

"Probably not". But she could if she wanted to.

Lessons from Grandma:

1. Keep moving with both organized and lifestyle exercises. Not only does Grandma rarely sit still for longer than a few minutes at a time, she's kept up an exercise routine for decades. She does Jack LaLanne exercises (and sometimes does sit-ups even as the cat jumps on her stomach). Gardening is a way of life for her.
2. Eat your veggies - and fruits! While Grandma does have flowers and shrubs, the largest portion of the yard is taken up by berries, beans, corn, tomatoes, zucchini, peas, carrots and more - not to mention the pear and apple trees along the border of the yard that fill a second refrigerator with their bounty in the autumn months.
3. Cook your own food. Grandma enjoys the occasional meal out at Ivar's, but for the most part, she is the chef, enjoying steak and roasted turkey breast. No microwave meals or shortcuts for her.
4. Limit your salt. Grandma just doesn't cook with salt. That probably started to help Grandpa's blood pressure, but it has likely helped her as well.
5. Limit alcohol. Grandma doesn't drink. Period.
6. Work at something related to what you love. While I'm sure that Grandma does not love every moment of her work-life (and the family is convinced that her boss takes advantage of her), her work is linked to her knowledge of plants and gardens. I'm certain she's not just in it for the money.
7. Take up a hobby. Grandma didn't start playing the bells until she was in her 70s. Now she won't miss it for anything.
8. Stay connected. That bell choir also gets her out of the house, meeting new people and spending additional time with my aunt and uncle.
9. Exercise your brain. We all know not to call Grandma between 7:30 and 8 when Jeopardy is on. I haven't watched it with her recently, but I suspect she could give me and Trent a run for our money.
10. Enjoy nature. In addition to gardening, Grandma has extensive indoor plants and enjoys watching the birds at her feeder.
11. Know thyself. Grandma does not like to travel - so she doesn't, other than the occasional trip to Colorado to visit her siblings. When her boss says she should join him in Florida for a visit, she declines, mentioning to us, "I don't want to go someplace with alligators". While I can't imagine a full life that does not include travel, that doesn't mean she needs to go anywhere.

What lessons have you learned from your elders?