Looking Back Without Going Back, Making Exercise a Habit, and Feeling Financially Secure

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History (Non-Fiction): Empireland by Sathnam Sanghera – This thought-provoking history explores how Britain’s imperial past continues to shape the country’s culture, institutions, and identity today.

Memoir: Beyond the Edge by Chelsey Havens Klein – Chelsey Havens Klein shares a personal journey of resilience, transformation, and finding the strength to move forward through life’s challenges.

Self-Help: Successful Aging by Daniel J. Levitin – Neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin explores the science of aging and reveals how people can support their health, happiness, and cognitive vitality later in life.

Romance: Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn – A hand-lettering artist and a former client explore New York City together, turning an awkward reunion into an unexpected romance.

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Looking back is a natural part of life. Certain songs, photographs, places, or scents can instantly evoke memories of earlier years. It's enjoyable to remember the people, experiences, and seasons that helped shape us.

Notably, looking back doesn't always mean wishing we could return. Many people eventually discover that it's possible to appreciate the past while also feeling content with where they are today.

It's easy to remember the highlights of earlier years:

When strolling down memory lane, it’s easy to forget those years also included uncertainty, difficult decisions, financial pressures, busy schedules, and responsibilities that felt overwhelming at the time. 

Looking back honestly means remembering both sides of the story—which can even make you more appreciative of the joys you’ve experienced.

Earlier in life, many decisions carry a sense of urgency. There are careers to build, households to manage, children to raise, and countless responsibilities competing for attention.

Over time, many people find themselves approaching life differently. They often become more comfortable saying no, less concerned about pleasing everyone, more prone to be selective with their time, and more confident in making decisions that reflect their own values.

That confidence imbues the latter stages of life with a sense of ease and comfort frequently lacking in our younger years.

Not every part of life becomes simpler, but certain things usually do. Many people notice they're better at keeping problems in perspective, letting small frustrations pass, enjoying ordinary moments, appreciating time with family and friends, and recognizing what truly matters.

These lessons can’t be rushed. They can only arrive gradually through experience.

Looking back doesn't have to become a competition between "then" and "now." Instead, it can be an opportunity to appreciate your full journey, with all the ups and downs that have come with it.

A favorite family home may always hold special memories, while the home you live in today offers different comforts. Friendships may have changed, but new relationships may have developed as well. Some traditions have ended, while others have begun and blossomed.

Different doesn’t have to mean better or worse. Life simply evolves, and we evolve along with it.

One of the pleasures of later life is having more freedom to enjoy moments that once slipped by unnoticed or were neglected due to demands elsewhere. These moments can take many forms, from simply lingering over coffee in the morning or reading for an entire afternoon to discovering a new hobby, spending unrushed time with grandchildren, or taking a scenic drive just because the weather is beautiful.

These experiences may not have fit easily into earlier stages of life, and most people likely wouldn’t have even recognized their value if they had. Later in life, though, many of those same people appreciate time spent slowly and quietly.

Looking back can also lead to appreciation for how earlier experiences continue to influence daily life. Skills learned decades ago, friendships that endured, lessons gleaned through challenges, and traditions passed through generations all become part of who we are today.

The past remains important not because we wish to live there again but because it helped prepare us for where we are now.

Looking back with gratitude while embracing the present is one of life's subtle balancing acts. We don't have to choose between appreciating yesterday and enjoying today. Both can exist together, each adding richness to the other.

We're looking for seniors who are embracing life with enthusiasm, purpose, and adventure. Whether you're traveling the world, starting a business, volunteering, pursuing a passion, learning new skills, or simply making the most of every day, we'd love to hear your story.

Think that might be you?

Email [email protected] with a photo and a short bio. We may feature you in an upcoming edition of Seniors Magazine.

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“The Woman at the Bus Stop”
From the life overview of Gloria N., 74, Newark, New Jersey. Shared with permission.

In the late 1980s, I took the same bus to work every morning for almost two years. My bus left at 7:18, and I would travel to the law office where I was employed in downtown Newark.

There was a woman called Rose, whose last name I never learned, who waited at the same stop as me.

Rose was probably twenty years older than I was. She worked at a hospital and carried a brown handbag that looked so heavy, I thought it had a small brick inside. We started chatting one morning because the bus was late.

After that, we talked almost every day.

We discussed our children, our husbands, the weather, television, the contents of the newspaper—whatever was on our minds at the time. Rose had strong opinions about everything. She especially disliked the mayor and the Mets.

One morning, she wasn’t at the bus stop. The next morning, she wasn’t there either.

On Friday, I asked another passenger if she knew what had happened to Rose. She retired unexpectedly because she was ill.

I never saw her again.

It seems strange that someone can be part of your daily life for almost two years, then simply disappear from it forever. I don’t remember her address or her telephone number. I don’t even recall exactly what her voice sounded like.

But whenever I see a brown handbag on a bus, I still think of Rose.

***

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The Teal Room has an extensive collection of online activities you can watch whenever you like, including music performances, creative arts, movement, recreation, and nature-based programs. New activities are featured regularly, while past virtual classes remain available in the archive. It’s an easy place to browse when you want something relaxing or creative to do for a little while.

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Do you want to ensure your story, values, and family history aren't lost?

A pressed flower can preserve more than its color and shape. It might come from a wedding bouquet, a favorite garden, a memorable vacation, or simply the first daffodil of spring. Flower pressing is inexpensive to begin, and the finished flowers can become cards, framed artwork, bookmarks, or additions to a journal.

Flowers with relatively flat blooms and less moisture are usually easiest for beginners. Try pansies, violets, daisies, cosmos, lavender, or individual flower petals. Ferns and interesting leaves also press beautifully.

Pick flowers when they're dry rather than immediately after rain or watering. The University of Illinois Extension's guide to preserving flowers explains which flowers work particularly well for pressing and covers several other preservation methods you can try at home.

You don't need special equipment. Place each flower between two sheets of absorbent paper, then tuck it inside a heavy book. Add several more books on top for extra weight and leave the flowers undisturbed for a few weeks.

If you plan to make this a regular hobby, a wooden flower press lets you press several layers of flowers at once without sacrificing your heaviest dictionaries.

Once completely dry, handle pressed flowers carefully—they can be surprisingly delicate. Use them to decorate handmade cards, bookmarks, scrapbook pages, or framed botanical arrangements.

For long-lasting paper projects, choose an acid-free adhesive. If you're framing your flowers, UV-protective picture-frame glass can help reduce fading caused by light.

If a flower has a special meaning, don't rely on memory alone. Write the date, location, plant name, and why you saved it on the back of the artwork or in an accompanying journal.

Over time, a collection of pressed flowers can become a botanical record of your own life—one filled with gardens you've tended, places you've visited, celebrations you've attended, and ordinary days you decided were worth remembering.

Having more than one email address can be useful. You might keep one for personal messages, another for shopping and newsletters, and another for work or important financial accounts. The challenge is making sure important messages don't get overlooked.

Decide what each email address is for and use it consistently. For example, you might reserve one account for banking, medical portals, government services, and other important correspondence while using another for online shopping and promotional emails.

Avoid creating new addresses unless they serve a specific purpose. The more accounts you maintain, the more passwords, security settings, and inboxes you have to manage.

You don't necessarily need to visit several websites to read your email. Apps such as Apple Mail, Gmail, and Outlook can display messages from multiple accounts in one place while keeping the accounts separate.

Turn on notifications for accounts that receive time-sensitive messages, and check less-important inboxes on a regular schedule. Use a password manager so every account can have a strong, unique password, and enable two-factor authentication whenever it's available.

If you stop using an email account, update any important services connected to it before closing it.

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