Gran died of pneumonia after years of suffering from COPD and emphysema from smoking when I was 20.  She was only 78.  Grampa died of metastatic prostate cancer when I was 35.  His physician decided that cancer was just something you got because you are old.  He had just turned 95.

I wasn’t aware or educated enough to recognize the deterioration of Gran’s mental and emotional state.  I didn’t see the depression.  All I saw was that she was physically aging and less willing or able to do things.  I never put the two together and realized the mind-body connection.  She was always her sweet wonderful self to me.  It was devastating to learn of her long-standing unhappiness, lack of fulfillment, and unrealized dreams.

Grampa was the opposite.  He was always physically and mentally active.  He was always learning new things; including how to use the computer I gave him when he was 85.  He golfed until cancer prevented him from doing so.  He argued with his oncologist when he was told not to weight lift anymore for fear of breaking bones.

They were excellent role models in very different ways.  Gran showed me what happens when you allow yourself to live a life unfulfilled.  Grampa showed me how possible it is to live and live well into the senior years.

I would love every person I know to follow his example.  I would love to help anyone that wants to live well at any age to overcome the mental, emotional, and physical limitations that they feel is preventing them from doing so.