You have a friend who is 48. She eats healthy and takes care of herself yet, she’s already turning gray and in a big way. She’s still strong and doesn’t get sick very often. In every way she appears to be younger than her age, if only her gray hair would listen to the rest of her body.
 
You have a son who is 39 and also eats healthy and takes care of himself yet, he’s already almost completely bald. Yes, it is in style for a man his age to shave his head, but it makes him look older than he really is because you can still see where his hairline is.

• Is this just by chance?
• Is it in our genes?
• Is it because we battle chronic pain?
• Is it because of the extra stress and long hours at work that are taxing our physical health to the limit?

 
The question is, are their things that we’re doing that are causing the premature gray and balding? Can we cause ourselves to turn gray early? Is going bald early our fault?
 
As for men going bald prematurely, take a look at medindia.net’s article, “Premature Balding.” The article discusses hair thinning out and how a receding hairline can lead to balding at a younger age such as a male in his twenties. They also discuss the reason for balding, that it can happen to women as well as men, and it’s causes can be due to a hormonal imbalance and genetics.
 
As for turning grey prematurely, refinery29.com posts the article, “4 Health Reasons for Getting Gray Hairs in Your 20s.” The article discusses hair pigmentation and how it fits in with premature gray hair, as well as reasons why you turn gray early such as your genes, thyroid disorders, autoimmune disorders, smoking, and nutritional deficiencies.
 
Your hair turning gray or going bald early can sometimes be suspended as the articles above tell us. But even if you end up gray, know that God will care for you when you are gray and even if you’ve gone bald. He loves us no matter what and wants us to accept how we look and focus more on what’s in our mind and heart. Try your best to keep yourself looking healthy and full of energy, but don’t let it be your focus. And remember, God knows exactly how many hairs on your head. He’s counted each one and loves you just the way you are.

Age. Here I go, talking about reaching a number that most people might cringe on turning. Say you’re forty-nine and you’re dreading becoming fifty.

• Sometimes that dread comes from wanting to stay looking younger and more fit.

 

• Sometimes that dread comes because you aren’t where you thought you’d be in your career.

 

• But sometimes that dread comes out when we realize that we just can’t do the things we used to be able to. This is especially true from those who suffer with a long-term health issue.

 
Your mind tells you to do one thing, but your body says, “Hold on! I can’t do that anymore. Don’t you know my body is tired and sick?” But we don’t want to listen to that one. So off we go putting our body in drive and doing the task no matter how much our body is screaming to stop.
 
How do we adjust to chronic pain getting older? Do we give up and just stay in our recliner all day? No. We look for things that we still can do and we ask for some help with a task we no longer can do.
 
Is it really that bad that we can’t do things that we used to be able to do? I don’t think it has to be. We just need to look for the positive things we can do.
 
We can put our best foot forward each day.
We can make sure we get enough sleep and eat healthy.
We can still believe that we can make a difference in someone else’s life by grasping a hold of striving to be a grateful person not a person who is always angry at the world.

• It’s okay to sometimes be angry. It is a natural feeling to have when you see your body degrading as your health condition is trying to snatch away years of being able to do what we want to do.

 

• It’s okay to sometimes be afraid; afraid of what the future will hold for you. Perhaps you can’t work anymore and you don’t know how your bills will be paid.

 

• It’s okay to sometimes stay at home and rest when you need to, because that way we might be able to do things that take a little more strength.

 
Did you catch the words, “It’s okay sometimes”? I believe this is one of the keys to finding your way down the chronic health condition path as you age. It’s okay to feel what you feel, but it’s not okay to stay there.
 
How do we keep the right attitude when facing a long-term health condition as we age? Psychologytoday.com posts the article, “Chronic Pain, Aging, and Staying Healthy.” The article discusses how a change in pain reception affects pain as you age, how age affects your general health and ways to deal with declining health while living with chronic pain.
 
It is difficult, as we age, to cope with our minds telling us to do one thing, and our body says another.  Not being able to do what we want to do can bring down our spirits and cause us to feel guilty about what our hearts feel. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
 
We can make an effort to change our attitude about aging just as the Bible verse above states. This verse was speaking of one of the kings who lived during Bible times and his death. It says that the king was buried, “at a good old age.” The verse doesn’t say, “a bad old age,” but a good one. When thinking about getting older, try to remember that it doesn’t have to be all negative. We can find good in it even if we do have a chronic health issue.

They say that what used to be old, no longer is. You know, the new thirty is forty or the new fifty is sixty.
 
As new cosmetic products, vitamin regimes and exercise methods come out they’re all trying to make you look younger. Sometimes it really does look like the right steps do make an impact on how you look as you age.
 
But looks aren’t everything.
 
Our age has affects on our body whether we like it or not. Our bones become thinner. Our blood sugar changes. Our heart may not work right. Our muscles may atrophy.
 
This is especially true for those who battle a chronic health issue. It doesn’t matter how old you are, when you use a cane or a walker for balance, you’re going to look old at first glance.
 
We must have realistic goals for our lives in order to age gracefully with pain. A lot of it depends on our attitude. If we think we look older than our years, then we probably do.
 
Sometimes it may not be possible to smile and look happier when you’re in a high pain day, but when you aren’t try to put your best foot forward and put a little swing in your step. Not only will you feel better, you’ll find yourself looking younger.
 
And that’s where sometimes we run up against a road block – how we feel. With the real limitations that pain puts on our bodies, we may feel like we are useless and stop caring about what we look like.
 
After all, you’re aging faster because your body is deteriorating, so why even try to look younger?
 
But you see, it is important to feel younger, to feel valuable. That extra swing in your step can get you out the door and to your next physical therapy appointment. It may also help give you hidden energy which can help you brave going for a visit to see family and friends.
 
But is there a way to look and feel younger as you age with pain? A lot of the problem is our perception of ourselves. If we can embrace who we are, chronic pain and all, we’ll have a better chance of improving our body image.
 
Wikihow.com has an article titled, “How to Improve Body Image When You Have Chronic Pain,” such as embracing how you look instead of thinking you’re less of a person because you battle a chronic health condition, and stop developing unrealistic standards.
 
So you see, we don’t have to needlessly worry about aging. God has promised, in the Bible verse above, that even when we are old and have gray hair God will sustain us. He will carry us through all the years of our lives, and especially if we battle a chronic health condition God is right there with us.

There are many challenges we face with a health condition. We deal with the changes that take place which don’t allow us to be able to function in a normal capacity. One-by-one we watch as our freedom to live and move the way in which we want to becomes ever more constricting.
 
One of those constrictions lies in our inability to drive anymore. Whether due to age or disability, having to give up your driver’s license is difficult. I know because I was there.
 
My independence was cut short by my vision. I have double vision and loss of being able to tell how close a vehicle is to another object. I also have issues with depth perception.
 
Losing a driver’s license is symbolized by handing your keys over to someone else. Those keys held your ability to come and go as you pleased and now you have to depend on someone else to take you places. That can be a blow not only to your choices in activities and work; it causes you to have to ask for help. That can be difficult for someone who is independent and doesn’t want to depend on anyone else.
 
But here you are. Keys in your hand. And then, letting go.
 
Let’s change the direction of this discussion to the other side of the story – being the one who has to convince a loved one that it’s time to stop driving. That can be very tricky as having that discussion can cause your relationship with your loved one to falter.
 
First, both for the person who is about to lose their license and for the one who needs to convince another person to give up their license, take a look at some of the rules from the Department of Motor Vehicles on when it’s time to stop driving from the DMV website, “DMV Senior Guide for Safe Driving.” One of the main rules is that the person driving must be alert enough to make quick decisions to make the correct course of action in any type of traffic situation. On the DMV website you will also find, the "California Driver Handbook," which will discuss an individual's cognitive impairment.
 
In addition, please note: "Physicians and surgeons are required to report patients at least 14 years old and older who are diagnosed as having lapses of consciousness, Alzheimer’s disease, or related disorders." (California Health & Safety Code [CHSC] §103900).
 
So now that you know some of the reasons why someone can lose their driver’s license, we also need to consider the person who will be the one to talk to a driver about giving up their keys. This is a difficult decision and you'll find help with this in the article, “How to Talk to a Parent About Driving,” on the care.com website.
  
For the one who is about to lose their license, God knows that you must come to a point of accepting that you will no longer be able to drive. It’s not easy to do, but knowing God will help you to find strength, and provide people around you to help, can ease you into your new life situation. I learned to do so and made several close friends in the process. You can, too.

​The old woman looks at her hands. She sees her enlarged knuckles and tries to stretch out her hands, but is unable to do so. And, she remembers:
 
Hands that used to play the piano.
 
Hands that used to write cards to those needing a touch of encouragement and support.
 
Hands that used to type on her keyboard.
 
Hands that used to button her sweater.
 
Hands that used to open a bottle.
 
Hands that used to … She sighs as a tear slips down her cheek.
 
There are so many things that she used to be able to do, but no longer can. And what stole so much from her? Rheumatoid Arthritis.
 
Rheumatoid Arthritis is a battle you fight with your immune system causing inflammation of the joints and chronic pain episodes, mostly involving the hands and feet but it can also attack other areas of the body.
 
In medicinenet.com's article, “Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA),” you'll find some of the signs of rheumatoid arthritis including swollen joints and loss of range of motion.

If you experience any of the symptoms above, you should see your doctor who can determine whether you have rheumatoid arthritis. Also, rheumatoid arthritis can happen at any age. Though there is no cure, there are both traditional medications and alternative therapies available.
 
Find some of the treatments used in the article, “10 Ways to Fight Chronic RA Pain,” from everydayhealth.com. Diet and weight management are two of the ways used.
 
Whatever treatment options that you and your doctor decide on using, remember that God will strengthen your feeble hands and steady your knees that give way. He knows every part of your body and wants to wrap you in his love and care.

​Your eyes fall upon the clock that’s hanging on the wall. It’s as if you can feel the sands of time slipping through your life with each tick of the clock.
 
But what is old age? Is it something to dread and be afraid of? It doesn’t have to be.

• Age can be a time of discovering new parts to you.
• Gaining wisdom through life experiences.
• And those beloved grandchildren come along.

 
But as we grow older there are indeed things we dread.

• Your mind grows not as sharp.
• You get sick more easily.
• You begin to feel a pain which travels deep into your bones.

 
It’s that pain that I’m writing about today. And that pain has a name – arthritis.
 
Arthritis is a medical condition which affects the joints causing pain, swelling, and stiffness. It can also affect other parts of the body as well.
 
There are over 100 types of arthritis. Read arthritis.org's article, “Sources of Arthritis Pain,” to find out some of the most frequent types of arthritis such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus and what are the characteristics of each.
 
This is a long list and can be frightening to consider all of the symptoms one can experience by any number of types of arthritis.
 
So how is arthritis treated? Learn about types of therapy from arthritisresearchuk.org, in their article, “What are the Treatments for Arthritis?” 

Whichever treatment your doctor should decide remember that just because you’ve been diagnosed with arthritis it doesn’t mean you’ll have to give up on all of the things that you used to enjoy doing. Taking care of your lifestyle, including exercise and a nutritious diet can go a long way in helping you live your life to the fullest. And know that God will walk right through your treatments and new life enhancement choices with you.

​I just crossed off another day in my calendar. It feels like the days and months pass quickly as I increase in age each year. And more so now that I am old.
 
Yes, that dreaded word, “old.” But what is considered old? Is it by the months slipping by or can it be because as I age it seems like everything hurts more?
 
Perhaps it’s because as we age our bones begin to calcify and cause pain in the joints – the dreaded arthritis or bone degeneration.
 
I know that you don’t have to be old to have arthritis, but it does become more prevalent as you age. Yes, pain does increase with age.
 
Find some tips from webmd.com on the types of pain and ways to manage them in their article, “7 Age-Related Pains and How to Ease Them.”
  
Don’t forget that even as you age, God will sustain you, carry and rescue you. He will also give you the wisdom and discernment you need when making decisions on what treatment to choose to treat your pain condition.