Life is change, and seniors know it better than anyone. But one fun exercise gives you a sense of your life now and how you have traveled over the years.
Draw three circles, one inside the next, and write your name in the center. In the inner ring, list the people you cannot imagine life without. In the middle ring, those who matter but are not quite that close. In the outer ring, the friendly, useful people at the edges — neighbors, coworkers, the relatives you see at holidays.
Now do it four times, for four ages: as a child, as a young adult, in middle age, and today. Watch who moves. The people who filled your inner ring at ten are rarely the ones who fill it now. Some you outgrew, some you lost, some simply drifted to the edge.
Two things are worth noticing. First, who in your middle ring you have been assuming will always be there. Second, the empty seats in your inner ring — and who, with a little effort, you could still move inward. The circles never stop changing. The only question is whether you are drawing the next one on purpose.
Allyson Good curates senior living, health, and family content. She is formerly the Managing Editor of Active Life, a print newspaper published in 2016-2017 for seniors, choosing practical articles on health, money, safety, and everyday living for older readers. She is also an avid gardener and offers up Garden Hints and Tips on a regular basis.
