Why Write for the Graceful Aging Blog - by Suzie Daggett
Why share your story? There are many good reasons! As older adults our experiences and the lessons we’ve learned may inspire, enthrall, educate or enliven others which is important to impart. Sharing your words within their context of known pain, struggles, bursts of happiness, deep grief, unfettered anxiety, moments of loneliness, odd fear, deep love, rampant confusion or those pesky health issues is worthwhile spreading.
Those of us who write for this blog choose to share our story as we have gone or are going through life changes due to the aging process. If our words, our actions, our lived experiences were not shared, our family, friends, colleagues and strangers would miss out on learning life-changing ideas. They may pick up ways to live a better, more fulfilling life or hints on how to navigate doctors or why it is best to ignore pickleball all together, or which restaurant allows for clear easy conversations, or how to travel as you age. They may learn how to navigate the sad passing of their spouse, or when to stop driving, or why do my feet go to sleep, or how to be happy even in dreary limiting and changing bodies.
Is sharing your life’s knowledge valuable to you and others? I believe it is. Your story - how you lived as a young one, middle aged or at the beginning of the slow trot to older age is unique. You carry a rich inner history with twists and turns depending on your upbringing, schooling, job satisfaction (or dread), love life, children, pets, interests, hobbies and belief systems. Life lessons, when imparted to others, might guide a reader into new or unknown ways of improving their lives.
By sharing your story, whether you think it vital, amusing, scary, sad or boring, can influence those who need to know there are others going through the same life changing stuff they are. When times get rough and unfathomable, remembering someone’s take on life is soothing, like a friend reaching out offering help or care. If someone encounters a problem, they go looking for an answer that makes sense to them. You might have that answer giving them strength and direction. You never know when a snippet of your life story might help another if they encounter a similar situation you wrote about. That is a fine light bulb “aha” moment.
Getting old and staying well is a mystery, a puzzle, sometimes a conundrum. Our Fort Collins community, especially PAFC, offers a vast variety of ways to age well. You may have excellent survival hints or ways you have found to make life better as you have aged. Share them! We need inspiration on our Graceful Aging blog, and sharing your personal story presents one way to assist others as they age.
If you think you can inspire and help with your story, please share your blog on our Graceful Aging platform. Our intention is to create community awareness around how to age with as much knowledge, wisdom, and care as possible. Thank you.
Suzie Daggett is an award-winning author of The Pink Door ~ Mom’s Journey to the Other Side, and the author of two other books: From Ego to Soul ~ Discover what your Soul needs and what your Ego wants, and PEARLS ~ 52 Contemplative Insights. www.suziedaggett.com
