Barbara J. Hamby

sign-up for our email list

Get Excited

At the beginning of the Dr. Phil show, he spouts out some homilies. One of these is, “I want you to get excited about your life.” I never paid much attention to it until recently. But, in a sort of epiphany, it occurred to me this week that the people I know who live to be older than expected and, especially, the ones who look younger than their age, are generally excited about at least some part of their lives.

For some, it is their spouse/companion who creates excitement. It may be children, grandchildren or other relatives. Many have hobbies such as writing, genealogy, crafts, games, fitness activities or others that keep them active and alert and involved in living. For those lucky enough to be doing work that they love, their jobs may be what keep them excited. It’s noteworthy that many older people are still working or volunteering long after they could sit back and rest on their laurels.

Anyway, I’m happy to have more than one part of my life that creates excitement. Right now, I’m looking forward to the annual reunion with my three younger sisters in Seattle late this month. We have been doing this for a number of years and each year, it seems, we learn something about our young lives that we didn’t know before. We also learn a lot about our ancestors thanks to genealogy--the excitement in our youngest sister’s life.