18/11/2025
When I turned sixty, I sat down in my favorite chair, looked back at the life I had lived, and thought, “Well… looks like I’m entering the final stretch.”
And you know what? So much of what I believed in turned out to be illusions.
Kids? They’ve got their own lives.
Health? Slips away faster than water through a cracked bucket.
The government? Just numbers on the news and endless promises.
Aging doesn’t spare anyone — it hits you where it hurts most: your hopes.
So I made a few conclusions. Hard ones. Bitter ones. But the kind that keep you afloat.
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Kids don’t save you from loneliness
We grew up believing, “Raise your children, and your old age will be happy. They’ll be there. They’ll help.”
It sounds beautiful. But real life is different.
Your kids have their own world — jobs, bills, stress, their own kids.
And you sit there waiting for a call like it’s a national holiday.
The phone stays silent for weeks, and finally you get a short text:
“Hey Mom, all good.”
You stare at the screen. You’re glad they’re okay — truly. But the emptiness doesn’t shrink.
I finally understood: kids are joy, but they’re not a safety net. Not a cure for loneliness.
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Health is not forever
There comes a point when even the trips you used to jump into with excitement suddenly feel like too much.
And it hits you: health isn’t background noise — it’s your most valuable capital.
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Retirement and money
This one is universal. Retirement is a joke — not a life.
If you rely on the government, you’re digging your own grave.
I used to think, “The system won’t abandon us.”
Well, it will — and it does.
Social Security covers utilities and medication.
Everything else? You figure it out yourself.
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So what principles help you live with dignity?
Once the old pillars collapsed, I had to build new ones.
Here’s what I came up with — harsh, honest, real-world rules.
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Rule 1. Money is more reliable than children
No offense, but kids are love, joy — not your retirement plan.
So save for yourself.
Work. Set aside what you can. Build your own safety cushion — even a small one.
Financial independence is freedom.
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Rule 2. Your health is your real job
Nothing else matters if you can’t get out of bed.
Take care of your body: move more, stretch, walk, swim.
Ten squats each morning. Less salt. Less sugar.
It’s simple stuff — and it actually works.
Illness doesn’t ask if you’re wealthy or broke.
But it quietly respects the ones who take care of themselves.
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Rule 3. Learn to create your own joy
Expectations are the enemy.
You expect calls, attention, gifts — and end up disappointed.
So create happiness in small doses: a good meal, a book, music you love.
Learning to enjoy your own company is emotional immunity.
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Rule 4. Aging isn’t an excuse to become helpless
I’ve seen people my age become professional complainers.
“Oh, it hurts. Oh, help me. Oh, everyone is against me.”
And you know what happens? People — even family — start avoiding them.
Weakness doesn’t earn sympathy. It breeds irritation.
People respect those who stay strong even when life gets hard.
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Rule 5. Let go of the past and live in the present
The most dangerous trap is, “Back in the good old days…”
Back then the grass was greener, kids were better behaved, everything tasted better…
But those times are gone.
You’ve only got now.
I’m learning to release the past.
I don’t expect life to feel like the 80s again.
Life is different now — and I’m choosing to live this version.
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Freedom and strength are still in your hands
Aging is an exam. No one takes it for you.
Either you accept life as it is and rebuild it under new rules…
Or you sit on the couch, complain, and wait for someone to come save you.
Spoiler: no one’s coming.
But you — you still can. Always shine ✨ within your beautiful heart ♥️🧘🏻♀️🪷🍁🍂🍃Stevenage meditation 🪷
