Yesterday I had a discussion with friends, all in their late sixties and early seventies, about ageing. When do we consider ourselves old? Is it when we are a particular age or becoming less active and for some, unwell? Do we finally arrive at an emotional place within ourselves that gives us a sense of life balance?

There are many questions about ageing and just as many opinions. But one thing is for sure, when we move into our seventies and eighties we are in the last phase of our lives. There is no disputing that some people live well into their nineties and some even reach a century but they are in a minority. So what does this mean for those of us who are within this demographic?

Does the ageing process bring with it an acceptance of the last stage of life? A time to be grateful, a time to acknowledge achievements and the letting go of life long regrets? Is it a time for reconciliation with self, knowing and liking the person we have become. I suspect for some people this occurs but for others, life events and trauma may get in the way of feeling a sense of fulfillment. There are so many different situations that it’s hard to generalise.

For me, entering the ageing process is allowing me to acknowledge arriving at a wiser place than earlier in my life. With this sense of wisdom comes a calming effect and a balancing out of life issues. Life experience can only be gained by living through it. And that’s my reward.