Forever young

This morning, a deep wrinkle appeared on my brow.  I could have sworn it wasn’t there last night.  I also noticed thick, greenish, worm-like blood vessels that sprouted in my hands as if prepping me for that dreaded intravenous shot.

 “Aha!” exclaimed my friend.  “That’s what you get for another birthday; it puts dents on your face that call for Botox.”  “And look like the Joker in DC Comics?” I gasped.  

  Another friend had a drastic transformation.  She had shrunk.  Her neck was almost parallel to her waist and she carried this thick hump on her back because her spine had collapsed and the bones had crumbled like dust. 

“What happened to you?”  I asked, trying not to look too shocked.  “Scoliosis,” she replied.  “I was diagnosed early enough to reverse it, but I didn’t give it any serious thought until it was too late to save my spine.  To think that I used to dash up and down the stairs in stiletto heels, carrying shopping bags and grocery goods.” 

The British singing group Rolling Stones was asked by a Hollywood reporter, “What do you remember about your music and the past five decades?”    

Mick Jagger and the other members of the band gave a uniform answer, “Ahhh.” 

These are the signs of aging.  They sneak stealthily and by the time you realize it, wham! They have wreaked irreversible damage. 

Who is not worried about the ravages of time?

Consider the following tips and stay young, alert, strong, and mobile.

 • Dance.  I convinced my husband to dance the Argentinean tango after reading the Riot Act to him.  He walked towards me and held me by my waist.  I placed my hand on his shoulder and we moved across the floor to Carlos Gardel’s Por una Cabeza.  When he slid his hand to the small of my back, our lips were inches apart yet we kept control and he swept me back in a dip.  He caressingly pulled me up to an upright position and I did some fancy, sharp flicks of the foot suggesting that this señorita was out to seduce him.  When I wrapped my leg around his torso, we stopped inches from a kiss.  The room erupted in pandemonium.  My son, breathing heavily, stepped on the dance floor and exclaimed, “I believe my parents just danced a real tango.”  We were also breathless, relieved that we didn’t step on each other’s toes. 

• Read.  “It stimulates a wide variety of brain areas that process and store information,” said Dr. Paul Nussbaum, a neuropsychologist.  The late seasoned journalist Max Soliven averaged two books a day on top of indulging his fascination for war films and the masterly battle strategies that determined the victors.

• Practice writing with your non-dominant hand including other routine tasks.  Using my left hand to write, brush teeth, comb hair, even to eat, takes some tough effort.  But it will exercise the opposite side of the brain and fire up those lazy neurons. 

• Listen to classical music.  My uncle and aunt celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary in the best of health and in high spirits. When asked what their secret was, the couple replied, “Classical music.”  There’s something calming, at the same time stimulating, about classical music that makes the body react to harmonious sounds.  It produces healthy enzymes and antioxidants.  The string and the woodwind instruments bring out these serene feelings.  There is also the allure of love songs that give wings to your heart and make you fall in love endlessly.  When Broadway music wizard Anthony Newley composed What kind of fool am I, someone likened his music to following Dorothy down the yellow brick road.  “We click our red slippers and lo and behold!  You enter this land of wonders full of magic, love, humanity, and beauty.”  Music does that to the spirit.  

• Get enough sleep.  Many swear that six hours of deep sleep are enough to recharge the body.  Ideally, one should get eight hours of uninterrupted sleep, enabling the body to reproduce new cells and repair old ones.

• Change eating habits.  Eat more fruits and vegetables to overcome some of the damage caused by free radicals that kill brain cells.  Sugar and salt are the bane in our pantry.  Eat them sparingly. 

•  Park and walk.  Walking makes you sweat, a natural moisturizer, and it builds up your stamina without exhausting and damaging your heart.  Park at the farthest end. Use every opportunity to walk because it adds up to a healthy you.

•  Eat with friends.  Study shows that you eat healthier food and you stay disciplined with company than if eating alone.  You also reap the benefits of socializing, sharing stories, laughing, and having fun. 

• Take new hobbies.  Act, paint, including the art of animation, scrapbook, cross-stitch, quilt, crochet, cook, bake, take photography and jewelry making.  They will sharpen your brain, awaken your creativity, and expand your horizon to new knowledge and new friends.

I was faced with this long-drawn saga of mountainous photos.  I discovered scrapbooking and haven’t stopped since.  There is such fun in laying out photos and embellishing them with acid-free accessories that preserve them like new for the younger generation.

• Pray.  For all the times in your life, whether happy or sad, in triumph or in tears, raise up your heart in prayer.  Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP reminded us that in any undertaking, “do not lose the enthusiasm and the eagerness to love.”  Live an honest life and keep your faith in the midst of trials.  If you continue to be kind and forgive those who have hurt you, you stay child-like.  “It is like possessing ancient beauty that is ever new,” said St. Augustine. 

My husband took a liking to aging rocker Rod Stewart.  “His song, Forever Young, is groovy,” he said. 

Groovy?  I like that.  It has not shown any sign of age and wear.