You are a constant model for others.

We never really know the influence that we have on others.  If you are like me there have been people who you could not even call by name who have left a lasting impact.

Life’s greatest lessons do not come from books or formal learning.  They are learned by watching others live and interact, listening to the intonation of their words, reading their expressions and feeling their emotions.

When we feel confident with age-esteem, we stand out as positive role models to others of all ages.   What an effective way to lead others towards a new image of age.   Be a living example!

Deborah Joy Phelps

When Deborah Joy Phelps writes about food her story takes us beyond measurements, spices and herbs.  She stirs in the flavor of the cook’s personality.

Deborah Joy, now on the good side of 60, is an artist when it comes to meeting new people and truly connecting with them.  Her contact is immediate and spontaneous.  This is probably due to the fact that she loves people and is genuinely interested.  Since she is authentic and engaging in her interaction, people tend to show their genuine self with her and let down barriers.

Adding the essence of the cook to the recipie brings a special flavor beyond food.

The Blewfield Clan

What a wonderful time post retirement seems to be for the cousins at the reunion in Paducah.   Everyone seems to be developing or focusing on genuine  interests.  And varied they are!

• Suzanne, who still works part-time in a law office  is submersed in the family genealogy and can trace her branch back to the Mayflower several times.  She is now writing a book about it.
• Bill, who is a retired professor and Fullbright Scholar, lives with poetry and has one of the best poetry resources, www.unf.edu/mudlark/
• Doreen complements working part-time as a mentor to student teachers with her passion for theater and acting on the local stage.
• Don “recycled” to become a pastor and acts as interim minister to congregations.  He also lives his passion as a cookie creator at the local bakery.
• Rose and David sold their house and now live in a motor home to experience new places across the nation.  Rose is a writer and David a photographer and using these passions.
• Gerard focuses on renewable energy and is sought out as an expert to speak and advise.   He also volunteers on clean water projects in Africa.
• Jeanie continues to nurse ailing birds, something that she has always done and is not ready to leave.  She loves what she does.

And this is just part of the cousins!

It is never too early or too late to develop your interests and passion.  It is an important aspect of personal age-esteem to love what you do.  It is a real elixir to building confidence and feeling vital.

When I told friends we were headed to “Paducah”, they thought it was an exotic island or a joke.

Actually it is neither.  Paducah, Kentucky is hometown to two cousins.  We were going there to meet up with the Blewfield clan of cousins.   As children growing up in the Midwest, we spent a week each year with cousins in LaPorte, Indiana.  We swam, boated, had hamburger eating contests, and played from dawn til dark.  It was a highlight of summer.

Now 60 years later we still look forward to being together. The Cousin’s Reunion has become a tradition with a different person taking on the organization every two years.

This year a conversation revolved around benefits of being older.  –  Especially living our passions, investing time in work and activities we truly love and that build our confidence and age-esteem.

• We feel vibant and involved in new ways.
• People seek us out.  Our strengths are recognized and sought after.
• We are involved in amazing activities that give meaning to our lives.
• We are more tolerant and understanding, no longer sweating the small stuff.
• Our lives have greater perspective.

AgeEsteem will become even more important with the current demographic  predicted to continue well into the coming centuries.

• One out of every ten persons is now 60 years or above; by 2050, one out of five will be 60 years or older; and by 2150, one out of three persons will be 60 years or older.
• The older population itself is ageing. The oldest old (80 years or older) is the fastest growing segment of the older population. They currently make up 13 percent of the 60+ age group and will grow to 20 percent by 2050.
• The number of centenarians (aged 100 years or older) is projected to increase 14-fold from approximately 265,000 in 2005 to 3.7 million by 2050.
• The majority of older persons (55 percent) are women. Among the oldest old, 64 percent are women.

Source: Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations Secretariat

To read more:  United Nations Program on Aging

Salute to Dr. Norman Borlaug

During this week of celebrating older persons, I would like to honor Dr. Norman Borlaug, a man who has marked our world and inspired many though he has never sought praise.  I was privileged to serve on the Board of Legacy® with him.  Dr. Borlaug was a true AgeEsteemer.   Even in his nineties he worked for what he believed to be most important – feeding the world as a means to promote peace.

Dr. Borlaug, a scientist and recipient of the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize,  developed a type of wheat that is credited with saving up to 1 billion people from starvation.  He was known as the father of the “green revolution“, which many experts say averted global famine during the second half of the last century.  More on Dr. Borlaug

Many older people inspire us and lead us in new directions.

Who would you like to honor during this week of celebration?

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.

AgeEsteemer Profile
Gladys Foster
Age 87, Centennial, Colorado, USA

Follow Your Bliss

“I’m a poor, old, half-blind widow,” Gladys Foster says matter-of-factly. “That’s true.”

Well, yes and no. Chronologically and compared to the population at large, 87 years of age is old. Gladys is legally blind in one eye from macular degeneration and has only half her sight in the other eye. She has been a widow for more than 20 years. But Gladys certainly isn’t poor in spirit! Dressed in bright red, her energy is tangible.

“And I’m loving it!” she adds about her self-definition with a sparkle in her eye. “I’m so excited about life – more now than ever!”

Gladys’s life revolves around her blog and the friendships it has created, her professional associations, her extended family and her retirement community.  

“I have no pets, no kids (to take care of), no job. Yet I’m too busy!”  she adds.

Active Blogger

And busy she is. She’s an active blogger. “The Internet is the greatest thing that has happened!” she asserts, likening it to the discovery of fire and the wheel. She started her blog (gladysfoster.blogspot.com) before the 2006 U.S. elections to talk with people about what is meaningful to her. The computer is her link to friends and the world community – and that fills her with joy. “I can write the blog indefinitely because I can type without looking,” she points out, referring to her limited eyesight.

Professional Political Economist

The subject of her blog is political economics, an area of study and involvement that has fascinated her all her adult life. After Gladys earned a Masters in Economics, she married J. Fagg Foster, who was also an economist. While he taught at the University of Denver, she raised their three children. Then in 1985, she earned a Ph.D. in Economics.

“The Ph.D. gave me the credentials to publish in academic journals and to teach,” she explains. Widowed and 63 years old, she began teaching economics as an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado – Denver. She also began to participate actively in two professional organizations for economists, the Association for Institutional Thought (AFIT) and the Association for Evolutionary Economics (AFEE).

“I love going to their annual meetings. I can say anything I want,” she beams. “I come back high!”

Sister and Mother

Gladys’s family and local community are also key elements of her life. Every year, she and her four surviving siblings, ages 79 to 87, have a family reunion in their home town of Elk View, South Dakota. She also travels to see her daughter, two sons and grandchildren and hosts visits from them.

At home, her days are joyfully full. Besides writing her blog, she exercises, walks up to 40 minutes most days, does all her own cooking and cleaning, and takes a weekly tai chi class. She also belongs to the retirement village’s Vision Group, formed for people with impaired vision to share ideas and provide information about new devices.

Avid Learner

She’s a voracious reader (using a magnifying glass) and audio-book listener. When the library bookmobile comes to her retirement community every two weeks, she stocks up on books and tapes. They range from novels to tomes on neurobiology. She emphasizes, “I want to spend the rest of my life learning!”

Gladys obviously loves to toss humor and camaraderie into her life. Twice a month, she joins other members of the Wicked Widows for happy hour at one of their retirement village homes. Each member has a white canvas bag to tote her goodies. “When others see us walking down the street with our little bags, they sing, ‘We know where you’re going!’” she relates. “We talk and laugh about absolutely nothing.”

What’s the secret to this AgeEsteemer’s vibrant and joyful life? Gladys sums it up this way ― “Follow your bliss.”

Note: Gladys is the inspiration for “Gladys” p. 20 in the chapter From Doubts to Daring of the book, AgeEsteem: Growing a Positive Attitude Toward Aging by Bonnie Lou Fatio.

Jason Sheftell who writes for the New York Daily News interviewed me for the article posted yesterday concerning AgeEsteem and real estate.

Why do I choose to highlight Janson and share this photo?

I love this photo for several reasons.

• It reminds me of an amazingly energizing interview.  Jason is a master at listening and tuning into exactly what you are saying, really saying.
• Jason immediately captured the essence of AgeEsteem.
• I learned through this experience.  As is often the case, the questions challenged me to think about AgeEsteem in new ways.