Losses and Gains

Ageing means that we have to get used to coping with loss continually. There is very little time to grieve for your teeth, your beautiful neck, your energy or your job. Instead, we learn to look on the brightside, project an air of optimism and be grateful for the gains.

The gains are experience, resilience, perspective and hope.

Hope is the most valuable of all. Remember Dante on the gates of Hell:

Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here.

The losses can be put in 5 categories

1. Loss of a loved one...and there will be many. But we treasure the good memories.

2. Loss of your position and job. Did it define you? Of course not. There is much more to you than that. So take all the things you learned-how to manage a project, get on with people, learn new things, cope with change, enjoy the moment..

3. Loss of Health. The statistics are scary. So many people taking so much medication. Aches and pains. Loss of mobility, Eye sight and hearing fading. Memory not so reliable. body organs beginning to show the strain of a life time of work. Take it easy.

4. Loss of Friendship as various relationships come to an end for a variety of reasons. Loneliness has been shown to cause huge mental and physical distress.

5. Loss of money. Living on a reduced budget is difficulty especially when we do not know exactly how long we are going to live?

50% of our retirement savings is paid out in the last 6 months of life on obviously. not great, health care.