Age is a Work of Art

by Steven Mills

TIME IS COMPLETELY TONE DEAF. The 24 hours we are allowed is exactly the same amount given to all. The secret to creating your own work of art, living your best life, is in how you choose to spend those hours. One of the greatest blessings can be the freedom offered to those who are past the age of raising children, who no longer have to rush to be in place at the parent-teacher conference, or make it to the office in time. When we are young our energy is constantly in demand. What is for dinner? Will you be ready for the meeting tomorrow at 9 a.m.? If the traffic is bad, will we make it to the start of the ballgame? Years spent in a constant rush leave very little time for introspection.

The stress that constantly watching time brings is a concern for our health and every other aspect of a good quality of life. Unfortunately, while we are in the midst of it, we can feel powerless to adjust those demands. Changes in the pace of life rarely come in a single moment; hours most often sneak back into our day one at a time. Sometimes it is as simple as a new driver in the family, or neighbors that help get some of the carpool hours back. Whatever the changes are, how we use that flexibility and freedom is up to us.

Brenda Felder 73 Years Old

At the age of 73, Brenda Felder refuses to be limited by getting older. “When you’re younger, you don’t realize it’s going to happen to you, but age is God’s gift to us. I don’t feel any different than the day I got married at 19.” Brenda believes the key to life is focusing on your actions and how you treat other people. “Everyone has struggles, and I will have them too, but you don’t have to wait for the hard times to be over to be happy. You can find ways to be happy while going through hard times, too.” Although Brenda was excited to retire from Chevron after working there for 53 years, she didn’t realize how much she’d actually miss going to work once it was gone. “I look back at the memories fondly, but I still don’t want to go back to work. I love being able to wake up as early or as late as I want to.”

A long life presents challenges and blessings, both in great measure. Each of the following people, captured by photographer Paige Henderson of Bellus in Mandeville, is a great example of living well. The portraits highlight both the interest and beauty of their faces. There is an obvious story to tell, don’t you agree?

Gina Glaser 86 Years Old

“I come from the days when we didn’t have television or air conditioning, so it’s been a great trip, this life of mine,” says 86-year-old Gina Glaser. As she reflects on life, she admits that the biggest struggle with getting older has been the toll that age has taken on her body. “I can’t believe how incapacitated I’ve gotten,” Gina laughs. “I can’t see well, I can’t hear well, I can’t walk. I’m surprised I’ve lived this long, but I’m thankful for all the blessings I’ve had in life.” The best advice she’s received in life, besides getting her mother’s skincare routine, was from her father, who passed away when Gina was 14 years old. “My father always told us to stand up for what is right. Don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t have an opinion. Stand up and be proud. Even if your opinions are wrong, at least you have an opinion.”

Leon Smith 77 Years Old

“Since I worked in New Orleans for 50 years, it was a big shock not to drive the Causeway every day,” says 77-year-old Leon Smith when asked about the surprises of retirement. “I started to realize there were so many other things we needed to do that we’d been putting off. The pressure was off from the work side, but now the new pressure was to stay busy.” When he’s not working in the yard or driving his grandkids around town, Leon likes to stay active with exercising. “Exercise is the key to health, longevity and a positive outlook on life. I wake up every morning at 7 a.m. and go exercise with my group because they push me to keep coming.” Leon also attributes enjoying life to having a positive attitude. “It makes things work out much better. No matter if you’re up or down, try to be consistent and try to be uplifting. It’ll make everyone else around you feel uplifted also.”