Joan Harris, LSW, MBA, CMC

Getting up early on a Sunday morning to work in my garden before it gets too hot, I can see the garden changing. The leaves are beginning to turn yellow, yet they are still giving us wonderful vegetables. Aromatic basil is ready to be picked to make delicious pesto and to dry for winter use. Small orange tomatoes offer a burst of sweetness. And yet, the youthful side of summer is beginning to turn, gently nodding its head toward the more mature season of fall. Autumn offers a different pace and color. It is a time when we take stock of our lives and begin to plan for winter.

As a long time Aging Life Care Manager, I too feel the changes in my own life. I love working with older adults, supporting them in reaching their goals, helping them through crises, and mentoring my wonderful, talented small concierge team of Care Managers. Every day I wake up grateful, energetic, and excited about the day ahead, wanting to continue putting good out into the world. But after 42 years as a Geriatric Social Worker, I too, like my garden, feel the changes of time and the reality that planning ahead is critically important to living my best life.

Over the past few years, I have finally been able to focus more intentionally on improving my own positive aging. I have learned from experts why particular ways of eating, weight lifting, other physical activity, stress reduction, and quality sleep can help preserve our bodies and brain function, reduce the risk of dementia, and give us and our families the best possible quality of life, no matter what Mother Nature unexpectedly throws our way.

This vision for my own aging was solidified when I traveled with colleagues to visit the remarkable elders of Ogimi Village on the Japanese island of Okinawa, one of the world’s five Blue Zones. The term “Blue Zones” was coined by Dan Buettner, a National Geographic Explorer and Fellow, to describe regions of the world where people live exceptionally long and healthy lives. It was there that I felt so deeply their contentment with life, rooted in their continued sense of purpose and their connection to community and family.

When I returned home, I knew our team could bring joy and purpose back into our clients’ lives where it may have been lost and we have!

Some years ago, I created Aging GPS: Goals Priorities Strategies, a planning program for older adults who are living independently and doing well in retirement, but who do not know what lies ahead and have not yet planned for their next stage, their older older years. Learn about this unique program: Aging GPS: Goals, Priorities, Strategies.

Just as I look at my garden and know that the changing season does not mean an ending, but rather a time to prepare thoughtfully for what comes next, I believe we can approach aging in much the same way. With knowledge, intention, purpose, and a good plan, there can be tremendous beauty in every season.