What Makes You Want to Get Up in the Morning? By Philip Moeller
years, I no longer had fibromyalgia," she said. An older adult holding a standing yoga pose with a tall stick. Next Avenue
As we age, our bodies will inevitably fail us, bringing discomfort and vulnerability. The end of our working lives may have diminished our sense of self-worth and opened up too many hours in the day. We worry about money and health care costs. As an extra affront, the pandemic has trapped us in our homes and starved us of affirming social connections. Debbie Molle and her grandsons, Jackson and Carter, at Fish Creek Provincial Park in Calgary, Alberta, in 2016 | Credit: Debbie Molle
Still, most of the Next Avenue readers who responded to our story about successful aging are grateful and enthusiastic about what life offers. There is no doubt that they look forward to getting up most mornings with delight, not dread.
We asked them to share what makes them this way. In this and future stories, you will recognize the attributes they value, including gratefulness, grit, and, perhaps most of all, a driving curiosity -to know what's over the next hill, what's out there, and the feeling that learning something new in their 70s and 80s has as much value, if not more, than it did in their 20s and 30s.
Finding Your Passion
At the age of 58, Janet Rae Humphrey of Scottsdale, Ariz. was a mess – on Social Security disability with a laundry list of complications from multiple surgeries – including a spinal fusion at the age of 16 and deteriorating joints. Toss in the pain of fibromyalgia and being overweight and, well, you get the idea. "I did not want to stay limited in what I could do," she recalled. Yoga seemed promising, and there was a class within easy walking distance. "But
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I was too embarrassed to go," she says. "All the other people had been going for a while," and she was worried she wouldn't measure up. Humphrey moved from Sedona, Ariz. to Los Angeles, and took a breathing class. This led to private lessons during which she dropped 20 pounds and decided she was ready to give yoga a try. "I finally went to a yoga class," she said. Her limitations were severe. Missing a kneecap, she couldn't kneel. With vertigo, her sense of balance was AWOL. With her spinal fusion, her torso was not flexible and, anyway, movement was painful due to her fibromyalgia. Still, something clicked. "I realized during the first class that this was what I had to do," Humphrey said. More classes followed. A four-inch piece of foam solved her kneeling issue. She found the right teacher for her. She started going to more lessons, and eventually was going six days a week. "The first year, I dropped a pant size without losing any weight, because I was getting stronger. At the end of two
She stopped taking a bunch of medicines. Yoga also laid the groundwork for a better diet. After losing her job during the recession, Humphrey's yoga skills had progressed to the point where she could teach others, creating a new career.
More than 18 years later, Humphrey is an accomplished yoga instructor who has taught thousands of people. Her website features instructional videos and links to yoga insights. The age and infirmity of her students is no obstacle. "I teach people sitting in a chair. They never get up at all," Humphrey said. "One woman is a hundred and one." Yoga also provided her the breathing and concentration discipline to cope better with other problems in her life, including a divorce and, after remarrying, the sudden death of her new husband. Humphrey's number one message of advice to others is to exercise, whatever form it takes. The second is to eat an organic diet. Lastly, she says, it's essential to have social contacts with other people. "Those are the three messages for successful aging," she said.
Build a Plan and Stick to It
Steve Weinstein was 62 when he retired in 2019 from a Milwaukee-based global
The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
