Birthday Party!

I attended the most delightful lunch yesterday! My friend Ann invited me to a luncheon that turned out to be a celebration of her 80th birthday as well as for many of her friends who are also turning 80 this year. Each table was set with lovely fresh flowers. Lovely live piano music, and pretty place cards-- all the things that we think of for an elegant "ladies luncheon".

And such a vibrant group of women! Some had retired from careers in business. Some were dedicated to serving others by volunteering, raising money and serving on the Board of Directors for major charitable organizations. The room was filled with laughter and energetic chatter.

Being 82 myself, it was really interesting to learn during different conversations that most of us felt like we were 40 years old --even if the "spacesuits" or bodies we were wearing no longer looked that age.

It reminded me of how, slowly but surely, attitudes about aging are changing.

It once used to be an assumption in our culture that once you retired, you were headed straight for a rocking chair or a nursing home. The media and advertising tends to focus on negative health and mental issues of aging . And yet, there are millions of us who are 80 years old and older who are still leading interesting lives, proactive with taking care of our health, and enjoying the gifts of family, friends, new things to explore and learn.

Every birthday at this age is truly a gift and it was such a wonderful experience to be in the company of so many lively and interesting women!