The youngest old person I ever knew was my grandfather. He was a lifelong learner. When his children left home, he started painting and even sold his work. He became a master gardener after he retired and learned how to swim when he turned eighty.

He was big on healthy eating, exercising, vitamin supplements, and the healing benefits of massage and reflexology long before any of that was a thing. Benjamin Franklin’s maxim of early to bed, early to rise, was a practice he adopted. And he read. I remember him saving articles for me and recommending fabulous books to me. One of his favorite authors was Louis L’Amour. The latest acquisitions he stacked next to his chair.

His example touched everyone who met him, and it leaves me inspired to be like him. I have seen people get stuck, who have given up, lost hope, and let their dreams slip away. The light in their eyes fades, and they drift, shuffling through daily activities, aimless, afraid, and beaten.

Life can crush the unwary, and dealing with trials and tribulations test our resolve. Reading exposes us to stories of heroes. Those rare individuals who persevere, triumph over difficulties and forge meaning and joy from whatever circumstances dealt them. In doing so, they maintain their youth and live forever.

How do you stay young?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer