How to Age Well

In my job as a health care worker, I’m privileged to treat many elderly patients. I’ve worked in the same practice for more than 31 years, so I’ve also had the opportunity to watch our patient population age. 

The ones who were children when I joined the staff now have children of their own. The college students are middle-aged. Those who were middle-aged are now elderly. 

I find the middle-agers who are now senior citizens most interesting, probably because I see my future most clearly in them. 

Some have aged well. Their faces have grown kinder. Their personalities have softened. Their eyes sparkle with laughter, and their hearts overflow with gratitude. Even though their physical limitations make caring for them more difficult, I look forward to seeing them because they’re fun, inspiring, and sweet. 

Others, I’m sad to say, haven’t improved with age. Their words are impatient and sharp. Their faces wear a permanent scowl. They’re demanding, suspicious, and entitled. Instead of believing the best about the people who have cared for them all these years, they believe we’re part of a giant conspiracy to steal their money. 

Watching people age has taught me much. It’s helped me realize I have a choice to make about how I approach each day—with grumbling or gratitude. 

If I choose to grumble about my aches, pains, and limitations, my grumpy words will reflect my grumpy attitude. If I demand special care because of my age, social status, or income, I’ll never be satisfied, because any effort will fall short by my unrealistic standards. If I grow suspicious and cynical and treat honest, hard-working people with distrust, I’ll sabotage any hope of genuine care, because relationships require trust. 

Like a dog who’s been eating out of the garbage can, the stench of my bad attitude will precede me, surround me, and linger behind me wherever I go. Before long, people will catch a whiff and hide rather than hold their breath in my presence. 


If I embrace gratitude, however, I’ll become a very different person. By focusing on my blessings (and everyone has some), I can change the atmosphere of a room almost instantly. By expressing thanks for the care others show me, I can validate those who feel unappreciated or overlooked. By trusting others and assuming the good (while exercising discretion, of course), I can foster an environment of mutual respect and commitment. 

Like bed sheets fresh from the clothesline, I can scatter sunshine and fresh air wherever I go. Instead of hiding when people see me coming, they’ll gravitate toward me, eager to share a smile, a laugh, or an encouraging word. 

Of all the patients I've cared for, Mrs. Maisy is one of my favorites. 

Well into her 90s, she lost a husband and a son in tragic deaths. While we’ve often talked about her losses, she always ends the conversation the same way. “I have much to be thankful for. God has given me a good life.” 

For the last year or so, Mrs. Maisy’s been battling cancer. Three weeks before she passed away, she came in for a visit. Every staff member stuck their head into the treatment room to speak to her. 

“How’re you doing, Mrs. Maisy?” 

“Oh, I’m slowing down,” she said, shaking her head. But her blue eyes twinkled and a smile hovered at the corners of her mouth. “It won’t be long now. But I’m ready. I have much to be thankful for. God has given me a good life.” 

Mrs. Maisy’s obituary was two columns long in the local paper, but I believe her greatest accomplishment wasn’t the committees she served on or the charities with which she worked. Her greatest accomplishment was demonstrating to the world that old doesn’t have to be synonymous for grumpy. Old can also mean grateful. 

Thank you, Mrs. Maisy, for showing me how to age gracefully, squeeze every bit of joy out of life, and share that joy with those around me. Thanks for teaching me I have a choice about the type of old person I become—grumbly or grateful. I want to wear well the grateful gown you left behind. 

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever."(1 Chronicles 16:34).

Now it’s your turn. Have you known someone who got sweeter, kinder, and more grateful as they aged? How did their example impact you? Leave a comment below and share your story. If you’re reading by email, CLICK HERE to visit Hungry for God online and leave a comment.



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Copyright 2018 by Lori Hatcher