London to the rescue

British retirees in Spain (300,000) are having difficulty to make ends meet due to the drastic dive of the British pound sterling in relation to the euro.  Whereas they set up whole communities in Spain where they could live well on their British pensions, many are now barely surviving.   With the devaluation of the pound they find their purchasing power cut by one-fourth to one-third.   The housing market has also taken a dip and those who must sell to survive are finding it virtually impossible.  They also miss out on social aid for older people including special funds for heating and for health care

The British government is now taking measures to create an assistance package to alleviate the situation.

For those of us who live in large countries with one currency, this may seem odd.  It is as though each state had a different currency that could fluctuate.

Bonnie In The News, Personal Finance British, devaluation, Euro, Pound Sterling, purchasing power, retirees, Spain

The average age of a first time grandparent in North America today is 48.

With today’s life expectancy being  78 in North America, (as opposed to 81.5 in Iceland and 41 in Zimbabwe) many of us may have 30 years or more of grandparenting ahead of us.   So  the question of how we want to fill the role of grandparent becomes an important one.

This is especially true since as today’s grandparents we are likely to be more educated than previous generations and also be active, self-confident with age-esteem and more globally aware.  We still have places to see and dreams to live.  Grand-parenting is just one role among many.

Bonnie Grandparenting, Life Stages - Ages age-esteem, globally aware, grandparents, North America, self-confident

Whether you are a grandparent,  parent or grandchild this is a day to celebrate.  Grandparents are precious to their families and play a key role in our society.

• In the USA 5.7 million older persons are raising their grandchildren or heading a household that includes children.
• Grandparents care for 28% of preschoolers whose mothers are employed in the USA.
• 80% of US grandparents saw or spoke with their grandchildren by phone in the past month.
• Spending time with a grandparent is linked with better social skills and fewer behavior problems among adolescents. (US Concensus Bureau)
• In countries where AIDS is rampant, grandparents are often the sole living relatives to care for their grandchildren.  The generation of their own children has been wiped out by the disease.
• Even grandparents who may not have access to their grandchildren often remain AgeEsteem role models and mentors for both parents and grandchildren.

Bonnie Across-generations, Life Stages - Ages adolescents, AIDS, grandchildren, grandparents, social skills

Help Others

An important trait of people with high age-esteem is that they are happy and help others.

After an exhaustive study, the prestigious Pew Society in the United States came to the conclusion that the more people give of themselves to others in terms of time, money or other things, the happier they are. Not only that, they feel that in giving, they are the ones who receive more.

You want to be happy?  Find ways to help others!

• Identify people around you who seem truly happy.
• Interview these people about how they are helping others.  Do they build part of their leisure and/or budget with that purpose?   Even though they don’t normally talk about it spontaneously, you’re bound to find that they are regularly contributing to the lives of others in some way.
• Test the concept personally.  Build in an activity that focuses on others rather than on you.

Help others.  Build your age-esteem and find happiness at every age.

Bonnie Happiness at Every Age contributing, happiness, Pew Society, United States

Senator Edward Kennedy is a prime example of someone who had to mature and grow in experience and wisdom in order to leave a positive heritage for the American people.  His early career was stained with scandals and mistakes. But his later career focused on making his country a better place to live.  It is the man of experience and wisdom that will be remembered.

We, too, can make our own communities more attractive places as we share our own experience, expertise and wisdom with AgeEsteem.

Among the 2,500 bills that Kennedy authored as Senator from 1962 – 2009 was the “Hospital Insurance Program under Social Security for the Aged” (Medicare) and the law barring age discrimination.

Bonnie AgeEsteemers, Life Stages - Ages age discrimination, Medicare, Senator Edward Kennedy, wisdom

The Age Of Our Soul

We are the age of our soul.

Our soul is our inner essence, the basis of who we are and what we represent in this life.  Do I still have lessons to learn, talents and knowledge to share?  Do I still have places to go and people to meet?  Are there contributions I can make to my neighborhood, and therefore to the world?

If I have a joy for life, love myself and others, am able to influence the life of someone else in even the smallest way, my soul is alive and so am I!  Age is not a factor.  Living is what matters.

Bonnie Life Stages - Ages contributions, influence, inner essence, soul

We Have No Age

Age doesn’t exist.  We have no age.

This confirms all of the other approaches.  Age in and of itself does not exist.

What matters is how we live our journey through life.  How we care for our health and how we meet each new day is of importance.  Some of us will live better in later years.  Some will regret earlier years.  What is most important is how we relate to the present.

• Do you make the most of this moment?
• How do you contribute to the world today?

Age doesn’t exist, only new experiences and fertile moments to be alive and thrive.

Bonnie Life Stages - Ages