When I turned sixty, I sat down in my favorite chair, looked back at the life I had lived, and thought:
“Well… I guess I’m entering the final stretch.”
And you know what?
So many things I believed in turned out to be illusions.
Children? They have their own lives.
Health? It slips away faster than water from a cracked bucket.
The state? Just numbers on the news and endless promises.
Aging doesn’t spare anyone.
It hits exactly where it hurts the most — your hopes.
So I started drawing conclusions.
Heavy ones.
Bitter ones.
But real.
And real conclusions are what keep a person afloat.
Children Don’t Save You From Loneliness
We were raised with a beautiful idea:
“Raise your children well, and your old age will be peaceful. They’ll be there for you.”
It sounds comforting.
But life doesn’t work that way.
Children have their own world — jobs, bills, stress, partners, their own children.
And you sit there, waiting for a phone call like it’s a national holiday.
The phone stays silent for weeks.
Eventually, you get a short message:
“Mom, everything’s fine.”
You look at the screen. You’re genuinely glad they’re okay.
But the emptiness doesn’t go away.
That’s when you understand something painful:
Children are joy — but they are not salvation.
They are not a cure for loneliness.
Health Is Not Forever
There comes a moment when even trips you once dreamed of suddenly feel exhausting.
Your body sends quiet warnings.
And then the truth hits you:
Health isn’t background noise.
It’s your most valuable capital.
Without it, everything else becomes irrelevant.
Pensions and the Myth of Security
This applies to everyone.
A pension isn’t a life — it’s a mockery.
If you rely entirely on the system, you’re digging a grave for your peace of mind.
I used to think:
“The system won’t abandon us.”
It does.
Completely.
A social pension barely covers electricity and medication.
Everything else?
You’re on your own.
The Principles That Help Me Live With Dignity
When the old supports collapsed, I had to build new ones.
Here they are.
They’re not soft.
They’re honest.
And they work.
Rule #1: Money Is More Reliable Than Children
No offense — children are love, warmth, light.
But they are not a pension plan.
Save for yourself.
Work. Set something aside, even if it’s small.
Build your own safety net.
Financial independence is freedom.
Rule #2: Your Health Is Your Real Job
Nothing matters if you can’t get out of bed.
Take care of your body.
Move. Stretch. Walk. Swim.
Ten squats in the morning.
Less salt.
Less sugar.
Simple things.
They work.
Illness doesn’t care whether you’re rich or poor.
But it quietly respects those who take care of themselves.
Rule #3: Learn to Create Your Own Joy
Expectations are enemies.
You expect calls. Attention. Gifts.
And then you get disappointed.
So I stopped waiting.
I create small portions of happiness myself:
Good food.
A book I love.
Music that speaks to me.
Being comfortable in your own company is emotional immunity.
Rule #4: Age Is Not an Excuse to Become Helpless
I’ve seen many people my age turn into professional complainers.
“It hurts.”
“Help me.”
“No one cares.”
And you know what happens?
People — even close ones — start avoiding them.
Weakness doesn’t attract compassion.
It attracts irritation.
People respect those who remain strong, even when it’s hard.
Rule #5: Let Go of the Past and Live in the Present
The most dangerous trap is:
“Things were better back then…”
The grass was greener.
People were kinder.
Food tasted better.
But those times are gone.
All you really have is now.
I’m learning to let go of the past.
I don’t expect life to be like it was in the 80s.
Today is different.
And I choose to live this version of life — fully.
Freedom and Strength Are Still in Your Hands
Aging is a test.
No one takes it for you.
You either accept life as it is and rearrange it…
Or you sit on the couch, complain, and wait for someone to save you.
Spoiler:
No one is coming.
But you?
You still can.