Our Wellness & Wellbeing: Do not go gentle

By Ryhaan Shah

I gave up writing my regular columns some years ago. I was writing then, mainly, about our local politics. In the intervening years, however, my thoughts turned to more personal matters as I dealt with the final years of my father’s life – he died at age 98 in 2024 – and I was reminded almost daily about our mortality.
There is that saying that in our youth we deal, and perhaps selfishly, with our personal growth; in our middle years more selflessly, with careers and our family’s wellbeing; and that in our senior years our thoughts turn from material to more spiritual matters. This last, I suppose, as we prepare for the final eventuality in our journey. Now in my 70s and retired from a daily work routine, I do think more about my wellness and wellbeing, not only in the physical sense but in the mental and spiritual sense as well.
At a physical level, I am well known for my grey hairs. I have been greying since my 20s, and I simply left it alone and allowed the greys to grow in. It’s hereditary on my mother’s side of the family. The process has been gradual, and I receive many compliments, especially from women who wish they could be brave enough to let go and go grey.
It is rather unfair that men can go grey and be considered distinguished-looking, while the same does not hold for women. It is no surprise that over 80 per cent of women choose to dye their hair, but it is also true that more and more of us are embracing the greying process. Perhaps, it is becoming more acceptable, even fashionable, to sport a silver head of hair.
The western world is, without doubt, youth-obsessed, and growing older, for some, can mean reaching for miracle creams or Botox cures to try and keep the wrinkles at bay. Others choose to embrace ageing as a celebration of a life well lived and as a natural part of their personal evolution and growth. It’s a personal choice: it’s whatever makes you feel good about yourself.
For most of us, ageing comes with physical shifts, to being aware of the limits of what we can do and can no longer do. Even so, it is important to not give up and descend into a sedentary lifestyle – not while we can still be physically and mentally active.
In the upcoming weekly columns, we will explore all the many fascinating facets of ageing well and joyfully. This should be of interest not only to the more senior among us but also to the youthful and mature since health and wellness begin at the earliest age.
In our youth, we take fitness and good health for granted unless there is a chronic illness present. It is in our middle years when we are busy with careers and bringing up the children that we often slip into bad habits which can lead to illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, arthritis, or heart disease, and here is where the consciousness about self-care should begin.
Poor diets and lack of exercise will lead to less healthiness in later years, and we would all much prefer to extend our wellness and wellbeing into our senior years. This, however, does take some motivation and effort on our part to eat well and exercise regularly.
Beyond physical wellness, the everyday situation of being surrounded by family and friends is a “medicine” that is most invaluable. Love, laughter, and keeping the brain and mind active do not come from a doctor’s prescription pad but can, often, make the most difference in how we feel about ourselves and the world around us. There is much to be said about ageing joyfully and viewing growing older in a positive light.
Keeping mentally active and not giving up our sense of wonder about the world can be critical to staying fit and well. Grandma Moses, the American folk artist, picked up a paintbrush at age 78 and continues to live through her art today.
Many of us do view our retirement as a time for new beginnings, and as we ring in a new year, this could be the time for us to resolve to start living our best years yet.
I leave you this week with those oft-quoted lines about ageing from Welsh poet Dylan Thomas: “Do not go gentle into that good night. Old age should burn and rave at close of day; rage, rage against the dying of the light.”