Never Too Late

What then? Shall we sit idly down and say

The night has come; it is no longer day?

Something remains for us to do, or dare;

Even the oldest tree some fruit may bear;

For age is opportunity no less

Than youth itself, though in another dress,

And as the evening twilight fades away

The sky is filled with stars invisible by day.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 1807 – 1882

As you can see by the dates that the author lived, the idea is not new. It has been proved again and again by people like Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa, and you and me. It is never too late to act on your dreams and to make a difference that is meaningful to you. Go for it! Begin today!

Bonnie Fatio

Aging Today

Do we sit back with complacency and let others decide what we should be like as we age?

I believe we do. That is why reference to aging most often refers to being a burden on society, illness, loss of mobility, loss of memory, and dependency.

To be a senior, mature, and an elder is rather something to be proud of. It indicates we have lived and experienced years of lessons from living. We are wise and capable of even greater contributions to the world because of these years of living.

Proof of this is easy to find. Look at former leaders like Nelson Mandela, Jimmy Carter, and Mary Robinson; or actors like Clint Eastwood, Robert Redford and Judi Dench; or Maya Angelou, Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton…

Today we are proving that there is indeed life after 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and even 100! We are still running marathons, teaching, producing films, inventing, composing, leading, raising grandchildren, and making significant contributions in all areas of society.

It is time for us to stand in our own significance to speak out for what older people truly represent for society.

Bonnie Fatio

It’s easy to distinguish that the rugby player on the right is Matt Damon, but who is he shaking hands with?  Is that Nelson Mandela or Morgan Freeman?

Don’t  miss the film Invictus, directed by Clint Eastwood.  Morgan Freeman is exceptional in the role of Nelson Mandela.  Freeman had known for a long time that he would some day play the role of Mandela.   When Nelson Mandela’s autobiography was published in 1995, Mandela was asked who he thought could play him on screen.  He cited the name of Morgan Freeman.

In a recent interview in Switzerland published in Migros Magazine, his interviewer said, “Mandela is a wise man; he’s 91 years old.  You are also getting older and therefore also becoming wise?”   Freeman’s response was, “Careful.  I am getting older, but I am not becoming old.”

Age is an attitude.  Nelson Mandela, Morgan Freeman and Clint Eastwood share the fact that they are getting older – as are we!  They also share age-esteem with a positive attitude toward age that will keep them from ever becoming “old”.

Bonnie Fatio, AgeEsteem