Life is for living, age is but a number, and you're as old as you think you are, etc. etc.

When absentdaughter was little, she'd always ask on my birthday, "What is your best age?" and I would always answer, "The next one". I still think that way – whether it's my birthday or not.

Trying to live in 'now' seems to work for me. I don't always succeed but when I do it makes me glad to be alive.

Well, at least you're honest, susiecb!

I dread older age. I am hating being nearly 60. I have virtually got to target weight and play golf three times a week have a lovely handsome husband with all his working parts intact but nothing beat being in my thirties with my career blossoming, every day was exciting now every day is the same.

I remember an old friend of my grandparents - she must have been in her 80's when I knew her and always described herself as "being no better than I ought to be". She was great fun and from the stories she told obviously had a very "racy" life. She was in a wheelchair and when I took her out she would say she was just the right height to admire the rears of all the young men - and she wasn't averse to pitching them sometimes (much to my embarrassment). She enjoyed her life to the full and I often wish I had her "chutzpah".

nanaej your aunt should meet my 90 year old aunt, they sound kindred spirits!

Recent family events have made me prone to going back and dwelling on mistakes I have made - fortunately I have one daughter and a sister who both reassure me that I am not responsible for everything that goes wrong in the lives of my adult children.

And it is surely good to share your happy memories with others? That is another thing that life is all about, how we have lived, what we have done, and the dreams we have for the future often based on what we have achieved (or not) in the past.

In defence of the other thread, NanaAnna, I would just point out that no one was actually wishing themselves back to their perceived 'best time', it was just an exercise in assessing what had been a good period in our individual pasts. We all know that there is the possibility of even greater times ahead!

I am looking foward to my next big adventure - emigrating to New Zealand when I am 75!

NannaAnna - just what my OH said when he decided to learn to play the accordion a couple of years ago! He is learning the full chromatic accordion, and it is very difficult, but he loves it.

Old is only inevitable in your bones not in your attitude to life! Carpe deum and all that...
Just spent the day with my 87 yr old aunt at a family get together. She is furious that she is no longer allowed to drive ( she gets dizzy spells). She always looks smart and stylish, enjoys the company of younger people and keeps up with current affairs etc etc. She has a myriad of 'conditions' had a triple bypass takes a ton of tablets but can always beat me at a game of scrabble! The one thing that does get her down is that her friends have either died or are not fit enough to get out and about and she misses them. So she is more reliant on us, her nieces & nephews to get out and socialise and this annoys her as she would prefer to be independent. She uses skype to keep in touch with her sons and grandsons who live in Dubai and Abu Dahbi.

One of my favourite stories......

DD3's grandmother-inlaw had been asthmatic most of her life. At the age of 82 her GP recommended a new medication which she refused on the basis that it wasn't a tried & trusted drug and there wasn't enough information about the long term effects of taking it! Love it!

I'm with you every step of the way NannaAnna. Tomorrow always has the potential to be the best day of my life so far!!!

I am..... got to jump at everything that comes your way never mind your age.