Age Esteem Lessons From A Newborn

Lessons From Lucy

We are delighted to have a new baby in our extended family. A dear friend who we consider part of our family recently gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Lucy.

Besides being overwhelmed with love as I held Lucy in my arms, fed her, changed her, and watched her wiggle, look at me, and then sleep, I realized that she had lessons to teach us. – Lessons for Age Esteem.

Let me share Lucy’s lessons for Age Esteem with you here.

• Unconditional acceptance. Accept people for who they are with both their flaws and finer qualities, knowing that they are doing what they believe is best. Accept the love of others.
• Let others know when you need something. Whereas Lucy must cry to let us know she is hungry or needs to be changed, we are able to express words and gestures. Although we have been brought up to believe that it is more blessed to give than to receive, remember that someone has to receive in order for others to give. Ask for what you want and need.
• Sleep when you are tired. It is okay to nap during the day.
• Drink a lot.
• Keep moving. Exercise your muscles. Wiggle and stretch.
• Take time to be quiet and tune into the world around you with its colors, odors and textures. Feel the breeze and the heat of the sun.
• Learn something new every day.

If you practice Lucy’s lessons, you will feel better mentally, spiritually and physically. You will age better and you will enhance your age esteem.

Bonnie Fatio

Age Esteem begins when we are children.  Research at Yale University and the American Institute on Aging indicate that the attitude that we have towards age and older people as children influences how we ourselves age.  Children who are raised with a positive attitude and relationship towards older people age better and more healthfully and tend to live longer.

The relationships we have with older people, the language we hear others use to describe older people, and the images that we see illustrating older people will impact our whole life and even contribute to our longevity.

Age esteemers have a positive attitude toward aging.  They embrace it with age esteem.  Age esteemers value, admire and respect age and tend to live longer, happier lives.

Bonnie Fatio