EMOTIONS OF AGING........

The emotions of aging are the emotions of change........They are the feelings of loss......Whenever things change in a big way in our life, we must deal with the letting go of the old, before acquiring something new.....This can be true whether it's letting go of something material, relational or conceptual.......

Though emotions do not come and go in any particular order, one of the first is grief.....We are grieving our youth.  We are grieving the way we use to be.......(I hate it I can't walk a mile....I can't lift heavy things, I can't work all day without resting etc.......Oh, and all my clothes seem to be getting tighter).......I also experience other emotions along the way...... anger, depression, fear, loneliness, anxiety, shame, guilt, and acceptance. ........but they tell me these are all part of the letting go and renewal process.  When we realize we are not who we use to be......we can either become depressed or accept it.  If we make it through all the emotions of aging, change and loss, then we ultimately come to acceptance, which is the healthiest place to be. The important point, however, about acknowledging and respecting the emotions of aging is to realize that feeling any and all of these emotions is normal and is part of the process of growing older....... I guess once you accept this you know that it is just a part of being ageless.....!

"AFTER A CERTAIN NUMBER OF YEARS, OUR FACES BECOME OUR BIOGRAPHY"

Cynthia Ozick