Life as Knitting

Recently I came across this poem by the famous poet, Anonymous. I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s a nice metaphor for life. After all, just like knitting, our lives are constantly changing and evolving, and this relentless motion colors our moods and emotions. We don’t know what the final piece will be, but one thing is certain, no matter who we are, it will be worth being on display for all to see.

Life is like knitting

God gives us the wool and the needles saying:

“Knit as best you can, one stitch at a time”

A stitch is one day on the clock of time

As you go, you knit one, you purl one

When stitches are dropped, they are worked back up

The wool we have been given is multicolored

Pink for our joys; black for our sorrows;

Gray for our doubts; green for our hopes;

Red for our love; blue for our desires;

And white for our faith.

How many stitches will we knit? Only God knows.

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Summer is here, so I’m taking a few weeks off to enjoy it all. I’ll be back in August.

 

What’s your Yardstick?

In my view, the only way to deal with age is to lie about it. Of course, you can’t fool relatives or friends who know you well. So every year they send a card—either an e-card or a traditional one sent by mail—praising the fact that you’ve reached another milestone and make it a point to display the correct number in as big a font as possible. I suspect that they simply want to point out that they are not there yet.

            We all age no matter how we feel (or lie) about it. Would we want to be younger? I suppose most of us feel that it’d be a good thing.

            The mother of a friend just celebrated her 90^th birthday, and someone asked her that exact question: Would you want to be younger? In her wisdom she answered: Not especially. Of course, she would prefer that her body not be on its decline, but she said that she was proud of what she had done and had seen. It had been her life, her time. “Younger folks will see other things, live in a world quite different from mine, I’m sure,” she said, “but the important thing to consider is whether they will be happy. I was happy. That’s my yardstick.”

            Wonderful perspective, don’t you think? We should spend less time worrying about the number marking the years we have lived and more time making the most of our lives at this point in time. Sure, aging is not always easy, but to me it’s a time when it’s easier to accept what may not be perfect in our lives so that we can concentrate on the reasons we should feel blessed.

            Counting blessings instead of birthdays is a nice yardstick, don’t you think??

Weightlifting

We are all aware of the many health benefits of physical exercise, but what about weightlifting? Is it dangerous as we get older?

          The American College of Sports Medicine is recommending that adults aged 50 and up include strength training as part of their exercise routine because it can help prevent osteoporosis, increase bone density and improve cognitive functions.

          As it builds balance and flexibility, regular exercise is linked to the prevention of aging-related diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, asthma, back pain, joint pain and cardiovascular disease. But while weightlifting (strength training) improves muscle strength thus lessening the risk of hip fractures, it has its own unique benefits in that it can prevent falls and make it easier to engage in daily activities as we age.

          A University of Vermont study found that after 12 weeks of weightlifting, a group of healthy seniors aged 65 to 79 were able to walk almost 40% farther. After just eight weeks of weightlifting, a group of seniors ages 87 to 96 improved their muscle strength by nearly 180%.

          If you have never engaged in strength training, you should make certain that you know how to go about it so you don’t end up injuring yourself. It is a good idea to start by seeking the advice of a professional to learn the correct techniques. 

Identity Theft

While new technology is increasingly part of our lives, hackers seem to be more and more devious. The result: identify theft is becoming more and more common. In 2014 alone, some 12.7 million Americans had their identities stolen.

            Gaining back your life after being victimized by identity thieves is extremely difficult, says Robert Elder, the CEO of Elder Insurance Services. He advises that prevention is key. Here are some of his suggestions for minimizing your risks:

<          - Only carry essential documents with you. Leave extra credit cards, birth certificate or passport at home while on daily outings.

<           - Be careful when giving out personal information over the phone. Identity thieves pose as bank personnel or government agencies to try and get information. Elderly people are especially vulnerable to these types of scams. Discuss it with the older people in your life.

<           - Your trash is their treasure. Be sure to shred receipts, credit card offers, bank statements, cancelled checks or any other sensitive information before throwing it away.

<           - Keep a list of credit card numbers as well as telephone numbers in a safe place at home so that if your wallet is lost or stolen you can quickly contact the issuers.

<           - Passwords and PINs should be a random mix of letters and numbers so that they are harder to figure out. 

<            - Get coverage. Many insurance companies now offer protection should you fall victim to identity theft.

               - Keep new checks out of the mail. After ordering them, it is best to pick them up at the bank instead of having them mailed to your home. It prevents them from being stolen, altered and cashed by identity thieves.

           Great advice indeed!