‘Living life to the full’

I have a chronic illness which means my days of romping up Snowden are over

However, living life to the full? I can do that in my living room. Welcoming the children and grandchildren to our home. Listening to their tales. Regaling them with stories of my life . Which was somewhat wild. Playing shops and hospitals with the children where they wrap me in bandages until I resemble a Mummy

When it's just the 2 of us we laugh and chat

I do colouring in and play games. Fortnite being my favourite. I potter round our far too big garden. I feed the birds and watch them from the window. Got quite a clan now.

I get out now and then but it's exhausting and causes pain so my 'living life to the full' is perfect for me.

I have no idea what it means - have no bucket list of things I want to do before I die - just to be able to do as I please when I want is enough. We don't holiday and at 66 my husband retired for the second time at Christmas only to get another job last week which will be 4 days a week 27 miles away. He would only have been bored at home anyway

I rather associate that phrase with those pictures of improbably youthful-looking 'oldies' urging me to buy retirement apartments or investments (sometimes cavorting on white sheets)
I don't think it has ever occurred to me not to live my life in the best way that I can.

Surely it is doing the things you love, being with the people you love – and who love you – and even doing the things you love with the people you love. I love all my grandchildren but only the youngest routinely spends an entire day with me each week. Today we walked all over town to find something he wanted and could afford with his "Christmas money" – a $2 bubble "sword" that produces huge bubbles, Then we went to the library and, on returning home, read both new library books plus 17 more from the shelves here – a perfect day for both of us.

If jumping out of aeroplanes is your first love and you can still do it, why not go ahead? If you love curling up on the sofa with a good book and a warm cat, do that. If you love entertaining the family but your budget or health prevents you from creating a lavish spread, you can still invite them for something simpler, such as a traditional tea with delicate little sandwiches and cake, or have a joint "bitsa" lunch. Absentdaughter and I quite often do this on family occasions, both contributing various bits of this and bits of that, some homemade and some shop-bought. As we are a fairly sizeable nuclear family – at least 11 people, comprising absentdaughter, her husband, her dad, her children, her step-father and me (plus the occasional friend), catering singly on a relatively limited budget can be costly and is time-consuming for both of us but works well when we do it together. Even if you can no longer do your most favourite thing, there is probably a close alternative. You love music or films, but can no longer travel to or no longer afford tickets. There are CDs, radio programmes, movies on television, Netflix.

I am a great believer that all problems have solutions – you just have to think about what they are.

I would love to be in a position where DH and I could just enjoy life. As it stands we are both “alive” but definitely not “living” .

annual

I always thought that once we were both retired we would travel to far flung places rather than the anual beach chill out we took when we were both working hard and just needed to be beside the sea with some sun thrown in for a well earned rest.
Turns out that whilst in theory dh was up for all of my exciting plans, in practise he wasn't too keen. I'd talked about India for years with encouraging noises from dh. When it came to booking though turns out he doesn't fancy it. Add in all the various trouble spots around the world and he always has a good reason for sticking to Europe. A tour? No good for his herniated discs sitting long periods on a bus.

To be fair this last bit is true. Go without him? Not that adventurous and strangely I still prefer the company of the aggravating old grump to anybody else's. So turns out that 'living life to the full' for me is long beach walks with him and our dog, spending time with friends and family and getting abroad with him where ever he's willing to go. We did do a cruise to the Bahamas last year which was a great success and usually, once I've dragged him on the 'plane, he usually enjoys himself.

Joking apart I'm very aware that we're all getting older and I'm lucky to have him still around so I give him a push in the right direction every now and then and count my blessings.

I have all I want. My family were far flung around the globe for a while so of course we did a fair bit of travelling. Now they are close by I feel I am living life to the full at last. It’s a good feeling.

MissAdventure
I can tell you for a fact that you'll see more of the Teraccota Army on film because there are so many people looking down over 'arena' that they're in. The same with the Forbidden City etc.
Have you ever wanted to see the Norwegian fiords? Stick with the film taken from the air, it's a much better view.
South of France? Nice, Cannes, StTropez. Too many people.
I think my favourite places are: the French alps, the west coast of Scotland and Ireland and snowdonia.

I think it's doing the things you want to do, when you want to do them - as far as possible.

I enjoy my home and am happy with my own company.

However, I think variety can be the spice of life and I enjoy volunteering and socialising too.

It's nice to have one holiday per year but I don't feel the need for more.

Good post kittylester

We have just been away for 4 days and I am glad to be home.

We have a fulfilled life at home - we have lots of lovely grand children, good friends, a lovely home (apart from the hall ceiling!) a (small) garden we enjoy (and open for charity) and busy volunteering lives.

We have travelled a lot up to now and are happy and content with our lives.

We have friends and family who live for the next holiday - I dont understand it!

I quite like being purposeless, but not all the time. I'm not sure about what living life to the full really means for me.

I think maybe it's getting to the point where you know that you won't lie on your deathbed wishing you'd done this or that, and it doesn't matter what those things are - they will be different for everyone.

My friend loves her holidays and is always planning the next one. She has a list of places to go where she hasn't yet been.

I've never enjoyed travelling but used to endure it for the sake of my family. Now I don't have to - I'm on permanent 'holiday' here since I retired anyway!

Sorry Missadventure.Crediting the wrong poster !That saying is going to stick with me.Also I loved it when Bob Mortimer on Desert Island discs said he loved nothing better than a day full of purposelessness .
That's me.After years of dashing here and there with family, working flat out I hate planning ahead too much,or not having gaps of nothing in which to potter.Some of our friends frenetic travel plans make me feel are we dull?But a)we can't afford it b)I genuinely think flying uneccesarily with climate change is questionable and c)I just don't want or need it to feel contented.Each to their own I guess !

I think I live life to the full . But I'm not constantly on the go to far flung lands or working through a bucket list. I take it to mean loving the life I live and living the life I love .

Enjoying the small stuff and taking advantage of small moments of joy.

I haven't travelled much at all, but I can watch videos of the places I fancy, I can Google to find out interesting facts about them.

It's enough for me, mostly.

Now we have the opportunity to travel the world we or better still, I don't really want to! I know we should while we are still fit and able but why? We have done our fair share of travel already, why should I feel guilty about it?

It means doing what you really want to, when you want to - while you can. A lot of people are too afraid to even try anything new, too concerned with minor details or possible consequences, too restricted by routines and habits.

Some are obsessed by being sensible, frugal, responsible, dutiful, predictable, available - until it's just too late to actually live!

That sounds blissful!

Excitement is overrated and contentment underrated.I love that Ellianne !
I sometimes feel whilst I'm still relatively young I should have a huge bucket list of exciting things to do,places to go like a lot of people.But I don't. I have just had a lovely soak in the bath after a blustery afternoon on the beach with our dogs.And I have a programme lined up to watch,plus a bit of chocolate to munch.Bliss !

Interesting question. My DH has often said that I'm built more for comfort than speed and its a fair comment. I'm more inclined to the crochet and books than adrenaline fuelled activities. For me, living my life to the full would be about connection with others, creativity, gratitude, happiness & contentment.

I'm glad people on here say you don't have to pack in heaps of activities to live life to the full. That takes off some of the pressure. We have many friends who travel the world whereas we are happy at home baking, gardening etc. I do feel a bit resentful sometimes because our health doesn't allow us to fulfil our retirement dreams but we make the best of things and are grateful for each day.

Living each day to the full I expect would mean different things to different people, but to me it would mean doing things that gave me joy and happiness, but it wouldn’t mean filling everyday with trips out etc