Listening to Our Elders

The August issue of Real Simple features an article called “Live Long and Prosper,” which talks about the keys to healthy aging.  I’m thankfully not very focused on aging yet, but I always like articles like this one for the quick dose of perspective they offer.  This piece features centenarians sharing snippets of advice about how to live a long (and inherently good) life:

“Do something interesting every day, otherwise you disintegrate.” – Lily Rudin, 101 years old

“Learning new things makes you happy and keeps your mind active.” – Frieda Falk, 101 years old

“Sleep well, try not to worry, and enjoy good dreams.” – Haruto Ito, 101 years old

“Be loveable.  I’ve lived a long life because there are so many people who love me.” – Justina Sotomayor, 100 years old

And last but not least… “I take a drink of Scotch every day.  And I feel great afterward.” – Herman Solomon, 102 years old

Amidst the chaos of the dawn of parenthood — and the high highs and low lows that come with constant juggling and heavy logisticating and sleepless nights and feeling like you’ve figured it out one minute and you’re clueless the next — it can be tough to see the forest through the trees.  I often wish my grandmothers — both of whom lived into their nineties — could be here to boil down life’s complexity to what really matters.  But in their absence, I hold fast to two pieces of wisdom they gave me — “family is the most important thing we have,” and “you’re never too old to dance.”

What’s the best piece of life advice you’ve ever gotten from an elderly friend or relative?