I recently saw a post on Instagram from someone named Sahil Bloom about how when he turned 32, he asked some 90-year-olds for life advice. I thought there were some interesting quotes in the post, some axioms resonating more than others (age doesn’t necessarily result in wisdom–we’re all just people with different thoughts, backgrounds, and perspectives).
I thought I’d share portions of the post and my thoughts 5 at a time (reading 4 ; I’d love to hear your thoughts as well.
#1: Now and then, break out the fancy china and drink the good wine for no reason at all.
I don’t own china (or even a fancy version of dishes), but I like the idea of randomly treating yourself and the people you love. It’s nice to save something for a special occasion, but I find those are the types of things that I end up forgetting, so why not just enjoy something when you remember you have it?
#2: Dance at weddings until your feet are sore.
This seems like it’s highly specific to the person. The dancing portion of weddings is by far my least favorite; I’m happy that other people are having fun, but I’d rather be doing almost anything else.
#3: Tell your partner you love them every night before falling asleep.
I very much like the idea of having a routine time of telling your partner you love them (in addition to those moments when you swell up with love). For Megan and I, it’s when one of us leaves the house.
#4: Don’t fear sadness, as it tends to sit right next to love.
I agree with this wholeheartedly. The sweet is not the sweet without the existence of bitter. Like anyone else, I don’t enjoy feeling sad–my dear, sweet, old Biddy brings me to tears all the time–but it’s also a reminder of all the joy in my life.
#5: Treat your body like a house you have to live in for another 70 years.
I really like this, with perhaps the caveat that I wouldn’t want to live in a pristine, Home & Garden house where I’m constantly agonizing over the position of every pillow and every speck of dust. I want my home to be my happy place, just like my body. That means I try to treat it well (exercise, food, etc), but I also indulge and enjoy myself.
So far, four that I like and one (#2) that doesn’t hit home at all for me. What do you think?
I own three sets of fine china. I was gifted a book for my wedding about running a household. It is a little dated, but I like that it said that the china is meant to be used. So whenever we host, the china comes out.
I don’t like dancing because I’m not good at it, but just a few days ago, I found myself as one of the 10 people dancing till the end. I danced to keep others company and keep the party spirit for the band. Others joined too because that’s what family does.
For number 3, we say I love you’s multiple times throughout the day. Maybe we’re still in honeymoon phase, but it’s been 4 years already in addition to nearly a decade of dating.
The other pieces of advice are also good and important reminders. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and it was nice of you to welcome people to the dance floor.
These are good bits of advice. #1 is interesting because right now, I’m spending a fair bit of time with my in-laws who transitioned from a wonderful, but very large home to an independent living facility where they don’t have as much space. “Good china” is largely an antiquated notion for most people in these times – it’s rarely dishwasher safe, often has problems with being used in a microwave and it generally more delicate compared to modern dishes. This is all to say that nobody in the family wants their special holiday china, and their other special set of silverware and dishes. It doesn’t fit in the lifestyles of folks anymore.
Oops – hit enter… To complete – My in-laws are now using their special china in their new home, And I’ve heard that a number of other folks in the community are doing the same. Why save it for people that don’t want it? Enjoy it. 🙂
Nice! That’s fun that they’re getting to use the good china on a regular basis. 🙂