My grandmother turned 99 last month. When she was born in 1919, life expectancy was just 52 years old. As a child, she could never have expected to live until 99; she might not even have met a 99 year-old person until she was much older. She wasn’t prepared for such a long life. Nor has she been idle. From my grandfather’s death in 2003 until she was 95 years old, my grandmother lived alone, caring for herself, socializing regularly with neighbors, playing Bingo and serving communion at church.
I just looked up my own life expectancy. It’s at least 81 years old, probably longer, due to the fact that I have longevity in my genes and a healthy lifestyle. My children’s life expectancies will likely be even higher. We have so much more time than we used to have. Time to write, read, create. Time to connect, to serve, to build.
Then why does it still feel like we have no time at all?
Retirement has gotten longer, but other life stages have not. Even if my son might live twenty years longer than his grandparents, his childhood is still the same length: eighteen years. His schooling is still K-12, plus college. My daughter will likely feel her biological clock tick around the same age as I did. The basic number of years that a kid is a kid, and that parents are actively raising kids, is the same.
All those extra years come at the end. I could be retired longer than I’m actively raising kids. But while it’s easy to predict how those kid years will look, I have no idea what twenty, thirty or even forty years of retirement might be like. What will I do with all that time?
This is a question I’ve been asking myself, over and over, since my grandmother’s birthday last month. What do I want my life to be like at 99? And how to I start planning for it now?
For more on the perspective of balancing longevity with enjoying the moment, see my latest newsletter, The Perspective Post: Are You Prepared To Live Until 100?
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I spent little time thinking about what life would be like after the raising the child years–but I do think about my senior years quite a bit now that my parents are aging. I’ve stepped up my exercise routine to try to remain mobile as a long as possible, and we’re trying to eat better. It’s hard to imagine a life without the structure of work and family, but there are many things I enjoy doing and never feel I have quite enough time for. So much of that hinges on maintaining good health!
Kathy, I totally agree- investing in healthy habits when you’re young is vital. I don’t know if I’m doing well on the financial savings end, but I’m confident I’m doing my best to maintain my health for the future.