The Directory 2023-2024

Taking care of those who cared for us continued from page 12 Charitable funding should be an investment Why invest in something old? When investing in something, either fi nancially or emotionally, there’s a somewhat natural inclination to want to see a long-term return on that investment. When it comes to the way we fund public services, it’s easier for many to see support services for younger demographics as a wiser investment because it’s the next generation. Over time you may see decades of impact on a single life and feel that your charitable investment has generated a healthy return. Th e perception is investing in services for someone in the later acts of their life won’t yield that same return. Ignoring the callousness of deciding some lives are worth more investing in than others, it’s prudent to point out that with a growing aging population, we will need support in place to meet changing needs of our older demographic and their informal caregivers. Looking back on the parable: Th e potato started out hard and strong, but in boiling water, it became soft andweak. Th e egg went in as a liquid with a thin outer shell, but the boiling water turned the interior solid. Th e ground co ff ee beans went into the boiling water and turned the hot water into something delicious to drink. What does this mean for us today? We’ve all endured some pretty rough times, you see, and we’ve come through them and been changed by these life experiences. Know that at any age and through anything, we can learn valuable lessons that propel us forward and may just change our attitudes. Never give up! continued from page 14

Aging better together If we are lucky, we will grow older. It’s one of the only experiences every single one of us has in common with one another. Instead of constantly thinking of aging as a shameful secret that makes us less than we were, we should strive to recognize it for what it is; a natural process of change and growth, where we become more ourselves. Our growing aging population doesn’t have to be viewed as a burden or a scary demographic shift. If we are truly committed to becoming a more inclusive society that celebrates our di ff erences and looks out for one another, that must include equity for people of all ages. No one should be forced to age out of their community. We all deserve choices in how and where we age; in the places we love. Because isn’t that how we’d all like to growold? Editor’s note: Senior Community Services is a local nonpro fi t to help older adults and caregivers maintain independence and quality of life . It is not as if we liked the sun for sunbathing, we liked it so it would make the corn seeds pop up. We got very dirty, but we are washable! Helen I was an only child, and I was supposed to watch my parents work on the farm. I was only four years old when I decided to try driving the tractor. This was against the rules, of course. I never saw my dad run so fast as when I was successful in starting the tractor. I was supposed to sit there and watch, and that’s how I fi gured out how to start it. I guess that is what you call making the lemons into lemonade!

Th e overwhelming majority of us want to remain in our own homes as we age, and we will all need some level of support to do so safely and comfortably, in a home we’re proud of. Th emorewe work to secure accessible aging services now, the more options we will all have as we grow older ourselves. Th ere’s undeniably a stigma around needing a little extra support as an older adult. Th e implication is the individual didn’t prepare well enough or made the wrong decisions as they grew older. We hear some version of this reasoning too often, and it’s harder to respond to because it often boils down to an oversimpli fi cation and a lack of empathy. We all know life is beyond unpredictable. No one can prepare for life-changing illness, tragedy, freak accidents, systemic marginalization, or any number of unpredictable circumstances that can decimate even the best laid fi nancial plans. They had time to save for getting older, why should I have to support them now?

Alice

I grew up on a farm and raised my kids on it, too. I used to drive the tractor, then get off of it, cook the meals, do the dishes, and then go back out in the fi elds. I did almost everything including discing the soil. Pulling up the weeds was hard work. Once I started, I just kept going. We prayed for rain and enjoyed seeing the sun come out afterwards.

2023-2024 THE DIRECTORY seniorhousinginc.org | 31