I’ll never tease JC again about her early “senior dinner times.” I recently discovered that some days her schedule is so jam packed, she fits in dining when she can. Between bible study, book club, Spanish classes, ukulele lessons and Rummikub tournaments, her schedule hardly fits into the little squares of her paper calendar! Fit, healthy, taking no medication and sometimes helping me remember things I’ve forgotten, this 94 ½ year old is simply amazing

According to AARP, the Super Aging Research Initiative is studying a small group of men and women across five U.S. cities. While medical advances have helped people live longer, it’s the aging brain that usually does not match up. Super agers are defined as someone over 80 with an exceptional memory – one at least as good as a person 20 to 30 years younger. They seem to have no trouble retrieving a word or remembering a name, processing new information and multitasking. 

As it turns out, it’s not just luck or good genes that make these seniors who they are. Their lifestyle plays a big part in helping to formulate their razor-sharp thinking and memory skills. Here are a few tips from my favorite super ager: 

A positive attitude
JC just wakes up happy! Wherever she’s lived, she says she likes to start her day by looking out the window and saying “Good morning, beautiful city!” 

If her mind wanders to the past, rather than allowing herself to think about how much she misses the family and friends she has lost over the years, she’ll turn her attention to something else and try not to dwell on it.

Avoid Stress
I call JC’s ability for not letting things get under her skin, her Scarlet O’Hara philosophy. In the movie “Gone with the Wind,” the conflicted hero, Scarlet O’Hara, would always say “Fiddle Dee Dee, I’ll just think about it tomorrow,” and go about her merry way.

Take care of yourself
JC is one of those rare people that actually practices moderation. She watches her alcohol intake, eats healthy and is always watchful of her weight, making sure she can fit into the new outfits she’s purchased on her many shopping excursions. 

She absolutely hates to be ill; even getting a cold annoys her! She makes sure she sees a doctor at the slightest feeling that something is just not right. 

Socialize
A social butterfly by nature, JC can start up a conversation with almost anyone and is still known to head out solo. After returning from a recent day trip, I asked her how she decided where to sit at lunch. “Easy,” she said. “I just look for the group that is talking and laughing.”

At the senior residence where she lives, she‘s always chock full of new field trip ideas and keeps a watchful eye on their restaurants’ menu variety as a newly elected member of the resident committee.

Spirituality
JC says maintaining religious rituals, curiously examining its aspects and relying on it for comfort in difficult times plays a big role in her life. 

Keep moving: exercise your body and brain
During pleasant weather, JC walks three times a day. She knows what her body can and can’t do and doesn’t like to be told otherwise. 

An avid reader, she’ll devour books and every type of magazine, from Cosmopolitan to Archeology and Smithsonian Magazines, always remembering to pepper her conversations with an interesting fact or anecdote. 

She’s always eager and excited to learn something new. 

Be Adaptable
While her life seems almost perfect, there is one downside: JC admits she sometimes doesn’t know where she fits in. 

Realizing that at her age, it is smart for her to live somewhere safe where she can enjoy the camaraderie of others, JC says that while the residents are lovely, most are not well and not able to venture out or provide much in the way of stimulating conversation. 

Deciding she is in the need of younger friends, she has joined a church group and has already signed up for some outings and activities.

That taken care of, she can now settle down to putting the finishing touches on some upcoming travels: her grandson’s wedding and a cruise to Norway and Iceland.

Featured in the Aug. 2021 issue of Austin Fit Magazine, JC joined four other Austin seniors in sharing how to “age like an Austinite” and reminded us “It’s important to have healthy relationships and friendships, but you also have to know how to be happy and make yourself happy. It’s a balance.”

Authors Note: 
The name JC (her initials) was given to my mom years ago, back when I hired her to be my interim secretary and did not feel comfortable to ask “Any messages, Mommy?”

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