You Can Learn Many Important Things About Life From Your Senior Loved One  

Pegasus home healthcare professionals in Reseda and elsewhere spend hours every day with the elderly. And every day, they teach us something new about life. We’re taking this opportunity to share with you some important things that you can learn from your senior loved one. 

Contributions of wisdom, tips, and advice from seniors could fill a book. We have summarized as many as we could into five groups. We’ve chosen the following: 

• Money
• Attitude
• Loss
• Laughter
• Love 

Our list is by no means exhaustive. Your senior loved one can add more that’s relevant to your life. They have been where you are. 

Money

You may still be at an age where you’re earning a living. You may be going to work every day or receiving passive income from investments. Wise management of your finances, regardless of the source, is essential.

Do your best to avoid debt. A home mortgage can be the largest debt you incur, but make sure you can make the payments before buying. Do your due diligence and learn about all the additional expenses involved in home ownership first. 

Credit cards are a source of debt that can be disastrous. Try to avoid using them unless you can pay the balance in full monthly. Know the interest rate for monthly payments and calculate that as part of the true cost of your purchases. 

Having enough money to meet your needs is essential. But your quality of life is even more important. Avoid sacrificing your happiness just to  get a larger paycheck.

Attitude

Like most people, you probably have a lot about which to be angry or resentful. People or things you thought you could depend on change. Don’t take it personally. 

Part of growth is adapting to change. You’re probably still able to live independently. Appreciate that, and the other blessings of your life. 

Brush it off if others are rude to you or inconsiderate. You don’t know what’s going on in their lives. Show compassion to them. 

Stop worrying. Seniors know that most of you worry about often doesn’t happen. Other things are beyond your control, and worry won’t change them.

Loss

The longer you live, the more potential losses you’ll have to face. You don’t receive an expected promotion or even lose your job. All your possessions are destroyed in a disaster. 

You’re in an accident that leaves you disabled. A friend or family member dies. Grief over loss is part of life.  

Grief is an individual process. The elderly understand that you have to be patient and give yourself time to heal. They also know that it’s important to ask for help when you need it. 

Your senior loved one has learned how to move on from grief and loss. They know that acceptance isn’t the same as forgetting. Healthy memories of what once was and is no more are part of who they are.

Laughter

Everyone faces adversity at one time or another. Regardless of how great your attitude might be, you can’t always be happy. But if you can find something to laugh about, you’ll have a healthier life. 

Taking yourself or things seriously can be exhausting. Look in your mirror each morning and have a good laugh at yourself. That’s what makes a good morning good. 

With a little effort, you can find humor in almost any situation. You can weather any storm if you’re willing to dance in the rain. 

Love

Surround yourself with love. Develop and nurture friendships. Value your family. 

Your older family members are your link to the past. Younger members connect you to the future. Family centers you and sharing love with each other enables you to find your way through difficulty.  

Loving relationships are built on an infinite number of small things. Each interaction is an opportunity to be loving and positive. Practice kindness, courtesy, and politeness. 

Relationships with family and friends need tending to. Make time for what’s important in your relationships. Develop good communication skills. 

Senior Wisdom

Many of the points made in this article may seem trite to you. You’ve probably heard most of them many times. But they are more than cliches.  

Senior wisdom is distilled from a lifetime of experience. They know the heartaches and joy of life equally well. What may seem like cliches is the essence of what they know to be true.

The following quotation, frequently attributed to Mark Twain in error, is one last piece of advice seniors have for you: 

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ~ Attributed to a mother, Sarah Frances Brown, as written to her son.  

Pegasus is a licensed Home Care Organization and a Joint Commission Accredited Home Health Care organization. Pegasus home healthcare experts in Reseda and our other locations know the happiest seniors are those who followed their dreams. We encourage you to follow their example.