Mid - Life Crises

We've all heard it said by somebody that was in a time of uncertainty in their lives," I'm in mid-life crises". What really does that mean? I'm not here to really give any certain answers because its likely different for different people.

For some people the children may have all left home and suddenly you find yourself alone with your spouse and you wonder what life has to offer you now. Maybe after many years of being a homemaker and watching over many little people you suddenly discover one morning that your baby just went out the door and entered the world of school and you will be alone all day until the gang comes back home...and you wonder what to do in a quiet house by yourself all day!! Or perhaps you find yourself in a houseful of teenagers that appear smarter and wiser then you. Maybe you just had the big 40 birthday and the realization smacks you in the face that you still have unfulfilled dreams and time is running out. Did a life changing event take place and you can't find yourself settled in anything?

I don't know when I even first thought about mid-life crises. I do remember however when my 5th son entered 1st grade. Being alone in the house was a very big adjustment for me. Never mind the fact that there was lots of activity with the business here at home and Jonathan always came in for lunch. I was very seldom actually alone all day. It was still a big adjustment to not have any little ones around me.

 It was then that i discovered that unless I stayed busy and very occupied I would not function well. Jonathan was still recovering from his stroke 6 years prior and with a history of cancer anybody knows that it comes back way to often. My mind knew how to worry way to much and i did not enjoy those thoughts of fear and uncertainty. He encouraged me to do something that I would enjoy to help me stay focused. I sat in canning classes for 2 entire days to learn the regulations of canning to sell. I decided I didn't want to do that even though my inspector for the health department encouraged me to do it. I enjoyed canning but not good enough to do it to sell. Instead I started making fried pies to sell. That was a joint venture and we joked about making fried pies together after the boys take over the barn shop. God blessed our little efforts and it has kept me busier then i wanted to be sometimes.

I'm not sure how all of this mid-life stuff even works or how we know when its a mid-life crises or just a crises. After Jonathan passed away and I found myself very insecure and unsure about everything i felt like mid-life and grief hit me all at once, but maybe it wasn't the 2 together. Its hard to tell because grief has a way of causing you to totally loose yourself, at least the person that you used to be. I was reading about mid-life crises and found some interesting thoughts.

Mid-life should be a time of life to embrace change to become the person you dream to be.

Its important to have a positive outlook during mid-life so you can view it as a time for personal growth and improvement.

Sometimes mid-life is when we view ourselves as getting older and we realize we can't do all the things we used to do as quickly as we used to do them.

Here are 5 steps to help us ease into the aging process without to much shock

1.Sleep. Most people over 40 do not get the needed 7-8 hours of  uninterrupted sleep that they need for good health.

2.Stretch. Take a few minutes every day to stretch. If we do not use our muscles in activity they will waste away. Chronic back pain, muscle strain and many health issues are a result of being inactive. I know we all look forward to sitting on the porch and rocking with a large glass of sweet tea in our hand, but we need more muscle exsersize then just rocking!!

3. Get Moving. A daily walk can reduce blood pressure, heart rate,and strengthen the immune system.

4.Eat Healthy and Reduce sugar. An average American consumes 150-170 lbs of sugar each year! Oh dear, I hope i'm not the average. Sugar is the cause of much inflamation which has been related to many chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes and arthritus. As little as 2 teaspoons of sugar can cause an imbalance in the body which is enough to invite disease. A diet high in sugar can leave your skin dull and wrinkly.

5. Accept that ageing is Inevitable. Your not as young as you might feel. We are going to get old unless we die young. Even though getting old may seem unpleasant we should be thankful we are blessed with many years.

I don't know what other people want from life .....everyone has there own dreams. I imagine there are many people that get what they want. I'm also sure that there are plenty of us that are disappointed because our dreams did not become reality. I suppose that's when we need Grace to accept the things that we can't change and be ok with life.


And so, could it be that whether we are in mid-life crises or perhaps simply facing changes or dealing with the reality that life did not give exactly what I hoped and dreamed....we look around and our friends are financially secure and they do what they want, when they want and go where they want, at least that's what it looks like to us, could it be that life is what we make it by our perspective? When I compare my life to what I wanted and what some others have then it becomes hard. But when I compare to those that have had and still have much less, many hardships and little support, it is then that I feel rich and blessed beyond measure.

There really are many changes in life. There really are plenty of things to deal with but an attitude of gratitude will make all the difference on really how hard life actually is.