I am turning 70 in October and I do not relish the idea at all.
I have decided not to celebrate the number but to just celebrate my day. My daughter said, “You need to celebrate being 70 Mum.” I replied with a firm “No thanks.”
I know age is just a number but quite honestly it’s hard to believe my 70 years on this earth have gone by so fast.
A lifetime is not long enough to do everything you want to do, and I still have things on my bucket list to achieve.
The downside of getting older is that you tend to get more aches and pains, your body changes and it gets a bit harder to do the things you used to do with ease.
Now I wish I had followed correct grooming, diet and exercise throughout my life – generally looked after myself better.
I have always had a weight issue from the time I was quite young and had TB. The start of my weight issue I believe was due to all the medication I had to take and my long stint in hospital recovering.
In my late teens and early twenties I went on all sorts of weird and wonderful diets and did achieve some success, only to put it back on again.
I have never been that keen on sports so sensible exercise was not really part of my plan.
Having children really messed up my hormones and I was actually lighter in pregnancy than I was pre-pregnancy. After each child was born I packed on the weight again.
From time to time I go on a diet but along would come some sort of stress and then I would hit the sweetie jar or have that extra glass of wine.
I know that I do need to find a way to relax better. I don’t handle stress terribly well and can often end up with massive headaches.
Unfortunately with my husband’s health issues at the moment I seem to be carrying quite a lot of extra stress. As a result, out comes the ‘Rescue Remedy’ and I am using that a lot – not that I’m sure it’s actually doing much to help at the moment.
If I was more active I could go for walks and clear my head but I don’t have the inclination or energy and my arthritis is also a bit inhibiting.
Now at almost 70 I really wish I had taken more care of myself. So I urge those of you who are fit and able to keep up the good work, I do admire you.
I am looking forward to spring and summer, and hope my husband and I can get out in the fresh air a bit – even if we just find a lovely park bench to sit on and have our lunch. I love being around trees, they make me feel good and I love looking up into the branches and letting my imagination go free. It reminds me so much of my childhood when I used to play around the trees at my grandparents place. I imagined all sorts of little creatures living in the trees. This is where my idea for ‘The Pipsies’ books I wrote came from.
My body may not be as willing as it used to be, but my mind is still full of ideas for stories and I love daydreaming and spending time in my own happy places – this is where I still find peace and solace, after all these years.
By Kay Rayner. Read more here.