Question #1: How do you speak of your death? Jesus did not experience the aging process, but he faced death. From his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane and several discussions with his disciples, it is apparent that he knew the hour and details of his coming crucifixion. Surprisingly, Jesus does not speak of death [...]
What form of stress relief . . . . . . . . . . . . is ECONOMICALLY advantageous? No gym membership is needed. It requires no special equipment or expensive clothing. It can be done [...]
If we receive God’s blessing of long life, we will age. How we age, however, seems to be surprisingly dependent upon us. Will we intentionally treasure the gift of life? Please observe the huge disparity between those who are positive about the second half of life and those who are not. This attitudinal difference is [...]
WE KNOW THAT . . . Exercise speeds up our metabolism. Exercise produces sweat to release harmful toxins. Exercise produces muscle that burn calories more efficiently. Exercise lowers blood pressure and cholesterol over time. Exercise increases energy, strength, balance, and improves agility. Exercise firms and shapes our bodies, improves our appearance. Exercise burns fat [...]
The author of Being Mortal, Atul Gawande, identified Loneliness, Dependency, and Boredom as the 3 AVOIDABLE PLAGUES OF OLD AGE. Would you agree that much could be done to alleviate those three plagues! Consider Plague #1—LONELINESS. I once asked my ninety year old grandmother what she considered the most difficult aspect of growing older. Nana was [...]
THE WILSON TRIBE My father’s nurse said, Parkinson’s is nobody’s friend. Like me, she viewed illness as an adversary. It grieved me to watch that disease sap my dad’s strength, decrease his mobility, almost silence his voice, and usher in dementia as well. By the end of Dad’s life, however, I could see [...]
YOUNGER NEXT YEAR by Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge, M.D. is a fun read because it is brimming with good news—we CAN take charge of our bodies and slow the aging process to a remarkable degree. Chris writes from his own experience while Harry narrates the professional viewpoint. Harry is an internist who loves [...]
On Being Mortal by Atul Gawande: In an exploratory tone, Dr. Gawande examines the American approach to aging and death from both the physicians’ and the patients’ viewpoint. He chronicles his own maturation as a doctor through numerous case histories of patients and their decision-making processes as well as the final journey of his own [...]
It’s too hot, or too cold, or too wet outside. Exercise equipment and/or a gym membership is simply not in the budget. I am out of shape. Working out in public is embarrassing, but I don’t know where to begin on my own. I get so bored doing the same thing over and over. Really, [...]
