At a time when men and women are living longer, the art of aging requires work, thought, planning, and a sense of humor. This Washington Post article describes the importance of humor in living a long life.
If people can age with class, then Harlene Goodrich, 80, and Dorothy Kelly, 91, should be considered aging’s rock stars.
These women — two strangers from opposite ends of the country and the poles of politics — agree on the basics on how to age well:
At a time when women increasingly live into their 90s and more men reach their 80s, the art of aging requires work, thought, planning and, yes, spontaneity.
Learning this art is crucial, as many Americans now have a realistic chance of living beyond 80, said Mark Williams, an attending physician at the New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, N.C., and author of “The Art and Science of Aging Well: A Physician’s Guide to a Healthy Body, Mind and Spirit.”
“I don’t think we give enough respect to what it takes to age well — until it happens to you,” said Anne Newman, 62, professor and chair of epidemiology in the Graduate School of Public Health at University of Pittsburgh. “It’s a balance between fighting it and accepting it that requires a great deal of grace and courage.”
