"In my day, I battled dragons
Walked with giants, ruled the seas
And all the riches known to man
Belonged to only me
What am I now? Fragile and lonely.
In the shadow of my glory
Robbed of everything by time."
I judge the quality of publications for Columbia University and recently read the poem above written by a student. I thought it ironic that a young person could so eloquently capture the feelings of the people my age who often lament the loss of their physical prowess, mental acuity and financial freedom.
I recently dined with a large group of babyboomers who spoke of nothing else but their physical problems. The common denominator was that none were resolvable only controllable, and that was anger provoking to each of them.
These people had been movers and shakers in their lives. They had been problem solvers and now they couldn't fix the physical problems that plagued their lives. They were angry because they'd been told they had to accept and live with their conditions--resign themselves to the fact that aging was robbing them of their physical and even mental well-being.
When I was in my thirties, I vividly remember thinking, as I listened to older family members conversing about their aches and pains, that I would never make that the focus of my discourse with other people. But like all the others vows rooted in ignorance and inexperience that I made in my youth, I now know that it is hard to be our best when we don't feel our best.
In my thirties, I was strong and pain free. I danced and exercised daily with ease. I juggled the myriad repsonsibilites of family and work without forgetting a thing, and I slept like a baby.
I didn't know what it was going to be like to have trouble even opening a jar or medicine bottle. I didn't know what it was going to be like to struggle with walking sometimes much less exercising because of an arthritic knee. I didn't know I would someday toss and turn trying to find a position that wouldn't aggravate my fused neck and allowed me a quick retreat to the bathroom for the umpteenth time.
Yes, welcome to aging. Is the trade-off for a weakening body and brain greater wisdom and a firmer focus on that which is really important in life? I don't know. I talk with friends and the answers to the "big" questions in life still seem elusive and the difficulties in relationships still loom large.
Is there any compensation for losing our physical and mental strength? One great sage in his late sixties, whom I well respect, suggested that losing all that makes us vital allows us to let go at the end.
I'm not sure losing our faculties is God's design to ready us for death, but I have seen enough people, who had been giants in their day, lose their strength and their desire to battle dragons, and as soon as they did, they sought a heaven that promises a new body, a life without pain, and eternity with our maker. Their eyes were focused only on God.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Java Junkies Can Relax
I love coffee and can drink it in any form--hot or iced, and black, creamed or flavored. I felt compelled to stop drinking it on a regular basis, though, because I had been convinced it caused more harm than good physically, so I approached coffee like it was a dessert (only on occasion).
Now, they tell us that coffee is not only good for us but those who drink lots are better off than someone who drinks only one cup a day. Don't you wish these doctors would make up their minds. Honestly, there's a very clear reason they call medicine a "practice".
Many new studies confirm that coffee is a rich source of nutrients and anti-oxidants that destroy damaged cells, lower cholesterol, improve insulin sensitivity and lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes, colon cancer and Parkinson's disease. If that weren't enough, coffee treats headaches, helps control asthma, lifts mood, and reduces cavities.
Prevention Magazine says:
1 cup per day lowers your risk of early death from all causes by 37%.
2 cups per day reduces your risk of death from heart disease by 25%.
3 cups per day slashes your risk of dementia and Alzheimers by 65%.
4 cups per day makes you less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes.
If this news weren't good enough, The Harvard School of Public Health recently published a study indicating that drinking caffeinated coffee is the most beneficial choice, so unless you suffer with insomnia or high blood pressure, drink your java in its high octane version to benefit fully from its anti-bacterial and anti-adhesive properties and to dramatically decrease the incidence of gall bladder disease and gall stones in both women and men.
Two studies have shown that individuals who drank two or more cups of caffeinated coffee per day were less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than individuals who drank no coffee or a small to moderate amount.
The studies also indicated that regular coffee drinkers score significantly higher on cognitive ability tests, spatial awareness exams, IQ tests, and short term memory studies, and the effects of coffee on an individual's cognitive ability appear to be even more pronounced among women and the elderly.
And a study of more than 45,000 men conducted over a 12-year period showed the amount of coffee consumed was inversely related to their risk for developing gout.
There are so many reasons now for drinking coffee that it would be almost irresponsible not to indulge again, and don't dump those grinds after you savor that first cup and pull the plug on the pot. Use them for a great facial scrub before applying make-up. The anti-oxidants in the grinds reverse skin aging for men and women, and the texture sluffs off dead cells. The coffee grinds also leave a natural oil that lubricates the skin.
Well, I don't know about you, but I'm firing up the pot again tomorrow morning.
Now, they tell us that coffee is not only good for us but those who drink lots are better off than someone who drinks only one cup a day. Don't you wish these doctors would make up their minds. Honestly, there's a very clear reason they call medicine a "practice".
Many new studies confirm that coffee is a rich source of nutrients and anti-oxidants that destroy damaged cells, lower cholesterol, improve insulin sensitivity and lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes, colon cancer and Parkinson's disease. If that weren't enough, coffee treats headaches, helps control asthma, lifts mood, and reduces cavities.
Prevention Magazine says:
1 cup per day lowers your risk of early death from all causes by 37%.
2 cups per day reduces your risk of death from heart disease by 25%.
3 cups per day slashes your risk of dementia and Alzheimers by 65%.
4 cups per day makes you less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes.
If this news weren't good enough, The Harvard School of Public Health recently published a study indicating that drinking caffeinated coffee is the most beneficial choice, so unless you suffer with insomnia or high blood pressure, drink your java in its high octane version to benefit fully from its anti-bacterial and anti-adhesive properties and to dramatically decrease the incidence of gall bladder disease and gall stones in both women and men.
Two studies have shown that individuals who drank two or more cups of caffeinated coffee per day were less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than individuals who drank no coffee or a small to moderate amount.
The studies also indicated that regular coffee drinkers score significantly higher on cognitive ability tests, spatial awareness exams, IQ tests, and short term memory studies, and the effects of coffee on an individual's cognitive ability appear to be even more pronounced among women and the elderly.
And a study of more than 45,000 men conducted over a 12-year period showed the amount of coffee consumed was inversely related to their risk for developing gout.
There are so many reasons now for drinking coffee that it would be almost irresponsible not to indulge again, and don't dump those grinds after you savor that first cup and pull the plug on the pot. Use them for a great facial scrub before applying make-up. The anti-oxidants in the grinds reverse skin aging for men and women, and the texture sluffs off dead cells. The coffee grinds also leave a natural oil that lubricates the skin.
Well, I don't know about you, but I'm firing up the pot again tomorrow morning.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Cairo in the Summer
Well the verdict is in and it is unanimous---I am not a third-world kind of gal. Spending time in Cairo during the hottest possible month convinced me that life is easier and more productive when people can at least escape 115 degrees into a home or work place that is air-conditioned.
The problem is that, in most third-world countries, people cannot afford to air-condition their homes or work places including, if you can believe this, the capital city's biggest and most important museum. Except for the room in which the King Tut exhibit resides (by the way amazing to see in Cairo), the rest of the museum was sweltering, and, ironically, we had saved it for the afternoon believing that at least it would be cool after a full day of being outside visiting the Pyramids, the Sphinx and Old Cairo, all of which were truly a miracle to see.
I have never really thought about the importance of air-conditioning before, but I am a firm believer now that it can change people and ultimately a society. On a small scale, one is better rested, in better humor and more motivated if they've slept in an air-condtioned room. I know because I have had to, in my lifetime, toss and turn rather than sleep in a room without. On a large scale, if people can escape the heat, they can work harder and be more productive, particularly in the afternoon, when life shuts down because the heat is so oppressive.
I was frankly shocked when I visited Cairo. The people are literally and figuratively hot under the collar, and the place it showed itself most was on the road ways. Driving in Cairo is truly death defying. There are no street lights, signs or respected lanes. If there are three lanes, the drivers operate as if there are five. The beeping and shouted insults are incessant, and pedestrians walk out into the road as if there are no cars bearing down on them at high speeds and intent on stopping for no one. I spent all my travel time looking out the side window at the sights. Looking out the front window was too terrifying, and I'm not afraid of much.
The city was filthy, not just with the layers of brown dust that blanketed everything, including what little there was in the way of plants and trees, and the layers of black grime spewed by cars not governed by exhaust laws, but with the trash that was strewn everywhere--along all the streets, in the parks and rotting in the buildings that were brown concrete boxes colored only by laundry flapping in the dirty wind.
Generally speaking, the people looked and acted as sour as their surroundings. Despite tourism being important to the economy, this was not a service oriented locale. Even if there is the promise of additional payment, I felt I was an imposition rather than a prospective customer, and at every turn we had to be concerned about being taken advantage of.
But in a way, I couldn't blame them. Many were poor, some so poor, in fact, that they have moved into the crypts in a cemetary that was thousands of years old. Can you imagine having a grave in your bedroom?
Poverty doesn't necessarily equate with unhappiness, but struggle at every turn to live life in a hard environment takes its toll, espcially when there is no promise of change.
I have been asked if I would have chosen to go again, and my answer is a resounding yes. Visiting massive monuments that date back thouands of years and speak to the sacrifice of the human beings who constructed them, sailing on the Nile River where the basket holding Moses was found, and walking among camels on a desert so stark and awesome that other experiences pale by comparison were just a few of the reasons for doing so.
Would I go again in the future? Well...I always wanted to visit Egypt and now I have, and, as I feel about all my opportunities to travel the world, I am grateful to have seen it and to have been with family members living there now, but it is checked off my bucket list.
If you're contemplating going, I would suggest going in November through March, taking one of those hand-held fans, and choosing accommodations with air-conditioning.
The problem is that, in most third-world countries, people cannot afford to air-condition their homes or work places including, if you can believe this, the capital city's biggest and most important museum. Except for the room in which the King Tut exhibit resides (by the way amazing to see in Cairo), the rest of the museum was sweltering, and, ironically, we had saved it for the afternoon believing that at least it would be cool after a full day of being outside visiting the Pyramids, the Sphinx and Old Cairo, all of which were truly a miracle to see.
I have never really thought about the importance of air-conditioning before, but I am a firm believer now that it can change people and ultimately a society. On a small scale, one is better rested, in better humor and more motivated if they've slept in an air-condtioned room. I know because I have had to, in my lifetime, toss and turn rather than sleep in a room without. On a large scale, if people can escape the heat, they can work harder and be more productive, particularly in the afternoon, when life shuts down because the heat is so oppressive.
I was frankly shocked when I visited Cairo. The people are literally and figuratively hot under the collar, and the place it showed itself most was on the road ways. Driving in Cairo is truly death defying. There are no street lights, signs or respected lanes. If there are three lanes, the drivers operate as if there are five. The beeping and shouted insults are incessant, and pedestrians walk out into the road as if there are no cars bearing down on them at high speeds and intent on stopping for no one. I spent all my travel time looking out the side window at the sights. Looking out the front window was too terrifying, and I'm not afraid of much.
The city was filthy, not just with the layers of brown dust that blanketed everything, including what little there was in the way of plants and trees, and the layers of black grime spewed by cars not governed by exhaust laws, but with the trash that was strewn everywhere--along all the streets, in the parks and rotting in the buildings that were brown concrete boxes colored only by laundry flapping in the dirty wind.
Generally speaking, the people looked and acted as sour as their surroundings. Despite tourism being important to the economy, this was not a service oriented locale. Even if there is the promise of additional payment, I felt I was an imposition rather than a prospective customer, and at every turn we had to be concerned about being taken advantage of.
But in a way, I couldn't blame them. Many were poor, some so poor, in fact, that they have moved into the crypts in a cemetary that was thousands of years old. Can you imagine having a grave in your bedroom?
Poverty doesn't necessarily equate with unhappiness, but struggle at every turn to live life in a hard environment takes its toll, espcially when there is no promise of change.
I have been asked if I would have chosen to go again, and my answer is a resounding yes. Visiting massive monuments that date back thouands of years and speak to the sacrifice of the human beings who constructed them, sailing on the Nile River where the basket holding Moses was found, and walking among camels on a desert so stark and awesome that other experiences pale by comparison were just a few of the reasons for doing so.
Would I go again in the future? Well...I always wanted to visit Egypt and now I have, and, as I feel about all my opportunities to travel the world, I am grateful to have seen it and to have been with family members living there now, but it is checked off my bucket list.
If you're contemplating going, I would suggest going in November through March, taking one of those hand-held fans, and choosing accommodations with air-conditioning.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Happiest of Birthdays
We have just celebrated one of the happiest occasions I've ever known--the first birthday of my first grandchild, and, if that were not enough, I got to see the heart beat of my second grandchild on that same day.
What a miracle a grandchild is---the source of love, laughter and pride with none of the responsibility or hard work, and what hard work it is. I'd forgotten just how "on" I was as a Mommy.
It's not so much the constant nursing and feeding, or the soothing and rocking, or the education and exercise; it's the not knowing fully what is going on in that sweet, little body--the high temperature, the piercing cry for no apparent reason, the unclear reason for a change in schedule. It's downright scary--terrifying really as you don't want a moment's discomfort for that darling baby.
The compensating factors for the concerns that come with parenthood (and grandparenthood when we hear about the high fevers or the terrible falls that we can do nothing about) are the snuggling after waking up, the outright laughter at some repeated silliness (in my case, it was sticking out my tongue repeatedly and playing peek-a-boo), and the full blown smile when they see you.
There really is no greater joy except perhaps to remember those same things about your own children. My granddaughter looks just like my daughter and when Lily turns a certain way or makes a certain gesture, she takes me back to being 28 and in love with someone in a way that is totally indescribable--boundless and breathtaking.
I still feel that same beautiful love for my daughter, but because of the boundaries that come with maturation and the changes in relationship that come after children marry, the expression of that love has changed.
But as I watch my daughter express her love to her daughter in much the same way that I expressed my love to her, I am transported and truly amazed at the miracle life can be.
What a miracle a grandchild is---the source of love, laughter and pride with none of the responsibility or hard work, and what hard work it is. I'd forgotten just how "on" I was as a Mommy.
It's not so much the constant nursing and feeding, or the soothing and rocking, or the education and exercise; it's the not knowing fully what is going on in that sweet, little body--the high temperature, the piercing cry for no apparent reason, the unclear reason for a change in schedule. It's downright scary--terrifying really as you don't want a moment's discomfort for that darling baby.
The compensating factors for the concerns that come with parenthood (and grandparenthood when we hear about the high fevers or the terrible falls that we can do nothing about) are the snuggling after waking up, the outright laughter at some repeated silliness (in my case, it was sticking out my tongue repeatedly and playing peek-a-boo), and the full blown smile when they see you.
There really is no greater joy except perhaps to remember those same things about your own children. My granddaughter looks just like my daughter and when Lily turns a certain way or makes a certain gesture, she takes me back to being 28 and in love with someone in a way that is totally indescribable--boundless and breathtaking.
I still feel that same beautiful love for my daughter, but because of the boundaries that come with maturation and the changes in relationship that come after children marry, the expression of that love has changed.
But as I watch my daughter express her love to her daughter in much the same way that I expressed my love to her, I am transported and truly amazed at the miracle life can be.
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