{ } P
AGING
Aging and “Phosphorescence”
with an
Attitude
Dorie Sugay is the Executive Director
of Visiting Angels, a company that
provides living-assistance services to
seniors and adults-in-need who wish
to stay in their own home or receive
one-on-one care within a facility.
This article is for informational and
educational purposes only. It was
written independently of Visiting
Angels. The names of clients and
caregivers were changed to
protect their privacy.
80
hosphorescence! The word got my
attention and when I looked up what
it meant, it became my inspiration
for this article. What is phosphorescence?
Dictionary.com defi nes it as “the emission
of light by a substance as a result of having
absorbed energy from a form of electro-
magnetic reaction, such as a visible light or
x-ray.” And that is my inspiration for this
“Aging with an Attitude” article. (For the
record, the only beverage I am sipping as
I write this, is green tea with Echinacea!)
We know that experiences influence
our feelings, our opinions, our choices –
even our goals. Think of experiences as
the source of energy that YOU process and
from it you radiate positive light or you
emit darkened shadows. (It’s a stretch but
this makes the topic of how to “age with an
attitude” a little more interesting!)
My grandpa lived to be 110 years old.
When people talk of “working a room” my
mind turns to memories of him flitting like
a butterfly from one group of people to
another, always leaving them laughing as he
walked away, humming as he went. People
used to call him “the charming Spaniard.”
Then there’s Grandma on my dad’s side,
refusing to allow someone to help her out
of the car, and saying “Let ME do it—I
am slow, not unable.” I think of an elderly
Polish woman neighbor who used to bribe
me with home-made pie so I’d play duets
with her on the piano.
I picture Avo, my “adopted” Portuguese
grandma who spent some time in France.
She always dressed like someone special was
going to visit. Avo remains a voice in my
head, reminding me to “never let myself go.”
Fast forward to 2017 and I am exposed to
the inspiring energy of our clients at Visiting
Angels. There’s fearless Mr. H who recently
went on an Alaska adventure. Even though
he is in his 90s, he insisted on cleaning
his attic until we begged him to stop. And
there’s Ms. M who is in a lot of pain but
always smiles because “it is better than
frowning.”
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
MAY/JUNE 2017
All of the aforementioned have tackled
physical challenges and made adjustments
in their lives in order to cope. My own
grandparents, who are less active but still
independent, dealt with emotional pain
as they redefined their goals, like many
may have to. Their experiences radiated a
certain kind of energy that influenced me
to want to “age with an attitude” not only
for myself and for the benefit of my son
but also to encourage others.
Ask yourself—how do you handle the
energy you receive from those around you
who are experiencing the aging process?
Does it inspire you to have a bring-it-on
attitude or do you see aging as a dungeon
of doom? If you are not blessed with
inspiring role models in your life, what
can YOU do now to find that energy and
light so you can age well? Aging does not
have to be a time of mourning for that
(youth) which was lost!
Think of experiences as
the source of energy that
YOU process and from it
you radiate positive light
or you emit darkened
shadows.
Our generation seems to be aging
better than the generations before us,
but we can do better! If you are someone
who is caregiving and you feel that your
situation is draining life out of you, draw
light from the fact that the person you are
caring for chooses to live, and bring your
light to the situation. Help your loved
one remember that even breathing is a
good starting point for gratitude! Make
sure they are getting the medical and/or
psychological care they need.
When you visit, be really there! As a
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