You Are Only As Old As You Feel

June 14th, 2013 admin

A few weeks ago, while I was delivering meals for CityMeals on Wheels, I had the great pleasure of meeting an elderly woman named Iris. It was clear when she came to the door wearing a cardigan set, pearls and lipstick that she took great pride in her appearance. She looked beautiful and vibrant and she had a personality that matched. We got to talking and she told me that, despite her appearance, she is no spring chicken. As it turns out, Iris is 98 years old. I was floored…this lady didn’t look a day over 70. When I told her that, she replied “well, dear, you haven’t seen me without my make-up”.

It is possible that I was the only person that Iris interacted with that day – as is the case for many of the CityMeals recipients – but she still took the time to care for herself and that level of care was apparent in her outlook on life. She acted a lot younger than all of the people I delivered to that day and some were in their 70’s. Now, I am not saying that the secret to longevity is make-up and a twinset because that would just be silly. I just think that a little bit of effort can go a long way. It might even take you all the way to 100.