Aging

p AGING I frequently take short trips when I have the time and the money . In one of my trips , I stayed at a simple bed and breakfast in Cleveland Ohio . The place was recommended by my host faculty from a university situated in the area . As soon as I stepped out of the taxicab , I was shocked to see that the bed and breakfast was actually a mansion . It was a three-floor gray edifice with blue shutters . As I rang the doorbell , I could not help looking around the circular driveway and the

br vast space surrounding the mansion . In a few seconds , an elderly lady opened the door . Ms . R (for privacy purposes , was the owner and host of the bed and breakfast . I stayed in that particular place for 3 days and 2 nights

During that short trip , I got to know and appreciate Ms . R . She is an 81-year-old French American lady who has been living by herself for the past 20 years . What amazes me is that she still has the strength and ability to maintain her home and even make a couple of rooms of her 15-bedroom mansion available to the public . She is also driven to keep her 5 living rooms sparkling clean , amidst the antique furniture and marvelous paintings on the walls . Ms . R served me breakfast during those 3 days that I stayed at her place . While I munched on cereal and fruit and nursed on her good coffee , we would chat about simple things such as the weather and any current good news in the rest of the world

When I returned from that trip to Cleveland , I would think of Ms . R every now and then , and sometimes give her a ring or a card to say hello . Even if my interaction with Ms . R is very short , she serves as a good model for me because I see that she has gone through a lot in her life , while I am just about to launch myself into the real world . I find that Ms . R is a prime example of successful aging because at age 81 , she still maintains good mental and physical health , as shown in the way she keeps her mansion and the way she stays healthy as her age permits (Maslow , 1968 . She also shows vitality because she is still socially active , as she gives simple parties to her close friends at least twice a year . Ms . R also shows resilience because she is capable of regaining herself after stressful incidents and setbacks . And most importantly , Ms . R is happy and still is excited about what is in store for her in the coming years (Frankl , 1984 , 1988

I am definite that Ms . R is not going through normal aging because she has not lost her energy and spirit to go through the next phases of her life (Hock , 1997 Erber , 2005 . She has mentioned that some of her friends have already passed away and that she...