This blog presents the ideas and creative thinking of some of Utah's talented older adult writers. Their submissions are to inform and entertain, not to present policy or opinion positions of the Utah Commission on Aging. Enjoy.
On Sunday night (1/8/23) while watching recorded episodes of that day’s CBS Sunday Morning and 60 Minutes, I was taken back to almost 50 years ago when I attended a meeting in Grethe Peterson’s1 historic home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For introductions, she asked each of us to say why we wanted to be a part of this group of women who started and were publishing Exponent II. I still remember saying, “Because it makes me feel like a smart person.”
Behind that smiling countenance and bullet-proof positive attitude that you’re likely to encounter is the other me: frustrated, beaten down and yes, depressed. Sometimes. Lately it feels like it’s more often than not. My aging spinal cord injury isn’t helping things. Walking, even with crutches, is more difficult than ever. Two worn out painful shoulders are awaiting replacement surgery. Leg spasms are ruling the day. Waaah. Sounds like a lot of complaining to me.
It’s almost Tax Time, that time of year when lurking behind plans for Christmas is the thought that we will soon have to face how organized—or not--our finances are. In addition to reviewing the documents and strategies we will need to be prepared for April 15th, it’s a good time to review the records and legal documents our family will need to manage our finances when we pass away, or even when we need their help because we are “getting older.”
This is the second time I will go through the Holiday Season without my husband, Dennis, who passed away from Alzheimer’s in May of 2021. Sometimes called “the holiday blues,” people of all ages and especially those who have experienced a recent loss find November through January to be their loneliest time of year. Some people don't need a lot of social interaction to be happy and healthy. Others may have contact with friends and family members all the time and still feel alone. Loneliness happens when we feel socially isolated, and it can have a powerful impact on our mental health.
This blog was meant to be. I’m writing it on Veteran’s Day, at the mouth of Utah’s famous Cottonwood Canyons on the first day of the 2022 ski season, in a veteran-owned coffee shop that donates free coffee to troops all over the world.