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There are some days where it just feels like everything is going wrong. The news is depressing, the weather is horrible and you got out of bed with the wrong foot. So it can be a good idea to sit down and treat yourself to something nice before going about your business.
The “Wholesome Way To Start The Day” Instagram page is dedicated to wholesome memes to cheer you up. We also got in touch with Candace Shivers, Co-Founder and Principal of Loveofaging.com, a site dedicated to celebrating older folks and changing the narrative on aging. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to share your thoughts in the comments.
More info: Instagram | Loveofaging.com

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    Bored Panda got in touch with the lovely ladies behind Love of Aging, an organization dedicated to helping older folks live life to the fullest. Naturally, we wanted to know if there was any story behind its creation.

    “Love of Aging was founded in 2020 by three friends — Candace Shivers (now 77), Liz Dietz (now 70), and Maureen Charles (now 64) – all experts on the difference that attitude makes one's experience of life. As we aged, we noticed that society wanted us to believe that life after 60 was on an inevitable downward slope, but that was not our experience. We found a lot to love about this stage of life, and we suspected that the key to our own experience was our attitude.”

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    Jen Exer
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Nice work! Healing yourself and your family at the same time.

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    “We found research on aging and attitude that supported our claim. So, we decided to create a platform where we could explore the intersection of attitude, science, and aging and bring others along. Our mission: To engage communities in creating a new narrative for aging.”

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    Multa Nocte
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Oops, the ashes from that fire got into my eyes and are making it hard for me to read this.

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    So we decided to ask them to share some common misconceptions about living at an advanced age. “We all have hidden biases. Mostly, we don’t realize we hold preconceptions about aging. Yet research shows that – although there are exceptions in countries like China and Japan – most of the world’s prevailing cultural age beliefs today are negative. We have been bombarded with these negative age beliefs since infancy and they result in implicit bias – that is, unconscious, unintended beliefs that shape our thinking and actions.”

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    #10

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    Hmmm hmmmm
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Twist the cats not really blind just pretending in solidarity with their owner

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    “Common misconceptions: Myth #1: Most old people are weak, sedentary, doddering, disabled, and incapable. (Think Mr. Magoo!) Reality: Evidence shows that with the right contextual and social supports, older adults can remain healthy and maintain high levels of independence and functioning—even while experiencing some of the natural changes in vision, hearing, mobility, and muscle strength associated with aging.”

    #13

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    BrunoVI
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Growing up, we had a frosted-glass front door, which meant I could sorta see my dog, but he couldn't see that I could see him... but he could hear me. He would wait for me at the front door, and as I approached he'd get all excited and run up and down the stairs in excitement. And as I opened the front door, he'd plop on his side and pretend he was sound asleep to play it cool.

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    “Myth #2: Aging is a decline that ends in dependency. Reality: Experts (geriatricians, gerontologists, and social scientists) view aging as a continuous process of human development that brings new opportunities for growth, contribution, and self-expression across our lifespan. Aging is not synonymous with decline, disease, or disability.”

    “Myth #3: Aging causes grievous memory impairment. Reality: Minor, short-term memory lapses are to be expected (at all ages) and are not an indication that our brains are in a general state of deterioration. In fact, other types of memory and brain function show no signs of deterioration and even improvement with age. Semantic memory – the recall of general knowledge – improves as we age. Procedural memory – our ability to recall and carry out a routine behavior, like driving a car or playing a musical instrument -- stays intact, neither improving nor declining. Neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to stay flexible and sprout new neural connections) continues to develop.”

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    “Myth #4: Aging is no fun. Reality: A recent study asked older adults around the globe what the best year of their life was. The number one answer was not 34 but 84! Myth #5: Attitude makes no difference to longevity. Reality: Studies have confirmed that people with a positive attitude toward aging live an average of seven and a half years longer than people with negative age beliefs.”

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    #24

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    Jen Exer
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Oof, this one got me, too. I'm bawling. That's so heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time.

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    So we wanted to expand on those ideas and asked them to share some of the things that make older folks special. “Today’s older adults are an economic powerhouse, an experienced workforce (paid and volunteer) with longer working lives, and we have a lot to contribute. We are lifelong learners at our peak of wisdom and knowledge.”

    #27

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    Multa Nocte
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    3 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I so admire all men who do this with their daughters. Or sons if they so choose.

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    “Cognitively, we are at the top of our game in three areas: Systematic thinking, which allows us to see the forest as well as the trees, rising above minutia to understand the bigger picture. Paradoxical thinking, which is the ability to hold the tension of multiple opinions simultaneously. We can approach our challenges from different angles for a more inclusive resolution. Emotional Intelligence, which is the ability to manage our emotions and respond sensitively to the emotions of others. Includes: self-awareness, self-regulation, social skills, empathy, and decision-making.”

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    #29

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    Alyssa Phillips
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It happened to my son. Thankfully he was too young to really notice. Plus we were at an arcade so he was happy to get the extra tokens. I, however, was pissed since I had to pay 13$/kid BEFORE the party. 10 kids had rsvp'd. So ~200$ total for my son and his little sister to hang out at the arcade.

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    Lastly, we wanted to know if they had any parting thoughts for our readers. “Yes. One of the best things you can do to add love to your aging is to have a purpose for your life. It doesn’t have to be grand, although it can be, it just has to get you out of bed in the morning with a sense that your life matters.” If you want to see more of their work, go to Loveofaging.com.

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    #35

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    Kobe (she)
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That is a wonderful picture of a father's love - or two father's love, actually

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    Feathered Dinosaur
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Oh I was so terrified during my dissertation defense I mixed up HMG the hormone you give women to induce ovulation with HCG the hormone you make when pregnant. I'm still embarrassed, but I passed lol

    Mimi M
    Community Member
    3 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is so sweet. At my defense, one of the committee members (a very sweet and brilliant older man, well-known in his field) asked me a totally random, completely conceptual question that had absolutely zero to do with my topic. I knocked it out the park at rapid speed. It still bowls me over to this day, his kindness - he did it just to make me look good. RIP Ralph.

    TribbleThinking
    Community Member
    3 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A person truly capable of joy and pride for their fellow beings. 🙂

    Johanna MH
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My husband, during training was shown how to check for sugar in the urinalysis. The professor put a finger in the urin and proceeded to lick his finger. He then told the students to do the same. They were gagging. My husband’s turn came and he stuck his index finger in the urin and licked his middle finger. The professor showed those students what he had done. The same as my husband did. The only one of his classmates.

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    #41

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    I_imagine_even_worse_w***s
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I like to think about this tweet whenever dublin bus doesn't show up. Unfortunately it's more often than I'd like. Maybe the buses sleep I'm a lot!

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    Multa Nocte
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I would have to be carted out of the store in a straight jacket if I saw these and couldn't take them home.

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    #51

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    YakFactory
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Many years ago I was laying out fabric and a dress pattern on the floor. Our Blue Heeler was at the door, and I was on the other side of the room. Rather than running across the fabric and tissue paper, she walked carefully around the edge to get to me. No damage at all.

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    Alyssa Phillips
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I took my oldest to his first haunted corn maze when he was 10. Turned out to be too scary for him. So I was loudly talking "it's almost over, I'm sorry it's too scary buddy"...all the corn actors came out of the stalks and just let us walk through without jumping out. Bless those teens.

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    Tempest
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is a good idea! A congratulations in this case can actually mean a lot. Toxic relationships are so hard and sometimes impossible (e.g.: kids involved) to get out of. I can totally understand this!

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    #57

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    Robert Trebor
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    During my one year of college, part of my commute was a roughly 20 minute walk to the train station at 5:30 in the morning. I always had to leave five minutes or so earlier than strictly necessary because there was a Basset along the way who would wake up the neighborhood if I didn't stop and cuddle for a few minutes. I rarely walked home the same way, but one evening I did, the dog rushed out to greet me, and the man who was in the yard asked if I was the one who got Edgar so excited in the mornings. All he could see from his bedroom window was the dog accepting/giving love at the fence.

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    TribbleThinking
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    3 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I love the way Mamma is all neat and dignified and sweetly holding her baby even in sleep, and the teenagers are sprawled with open mouths.

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    #75

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    Alessa Gillespie
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I wish someone would pay me for reading. Have been out of a job since December and it's one of the only comforts I've got left

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    Tempest
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You know that it’s the smart student who located this Easter egg and then told the rest of the class to go check it out and get the extra credit!

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    Nea
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I wish dogs didnt have such intelligence because it kills me to think of emotional pain they must go through when lost/deserted/hurt. I see too many dogs in bad situations around me.

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    Jen Exer
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    OMG I can't handle this one either! Waaaaahhh! That's the sweetest evidence of longing I've ever seen. I am so snotty crying at these posts!

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    Jen Exer
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So smart! I'm going to do this for my social kitty. From now on, new people will be told she's super shy and doesn't like most people. Then when they have a face full of purring cuddles, they will feel special.

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    #82

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    BeesEelsAndPups
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Haha. My 7 year old said "Daddy is the tooth fairy", and my teenager said "no, he's too cheap, the tooth fairy must be real". So, thanks?

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    cerinamroth
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That's sweet. My daughter (7) asked me why the Nazis were bad at bedtime... :-O I said there's plenty of time to learn about that in history classes and at synagogue. For now, it's sleepytime.

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    SheamusFanFrom1987
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't care what people think, Pokemon should be a life subject passed down from gen to gen.

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    cerinamroth
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My son (2) asked me once where the night had gone, and I said "It's daytime here now, so the night is on the other side of the Earth" and he replied "Phew, that was a close one!"

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    #91

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    Jessica SpeLangm
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Personally, if I knew that my husband was complaining about me that often, I would help him out and divorce him. Then he can complain about being single and having to do everything himself.

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    Jen Exer
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My Dad and I are CONSTANTLY making each other cry like this! It's his fault. I got it from him. We both love to take a light exchange and Kaboom with something deeply and overwhelmingly sweet. We are lucky. Now I'm crying.

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    SheamusFanFrom1987
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Shirley Curry is the real Dragonborn. *Grabs Silver Sword and Steel Shield* I follow! Victory or Sovngarde!

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    Admiral Graf Spee he/him
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    3 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My epugneul breton does this and then he tries to fly out of my arms while the other a corgi admits defeat

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    Tempest
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    3 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Last year I reconnected with my best friend from primary school. He moved abroad when we were about to start middle school. At that time email was the only internet connection most people had in my country (~2005-2010) but only our parents had email accounts so we exchanged emails through their accounts. But the connection eventually fell off. I always thought of him, never forget his birthday date, and unsuccessfully tried finding him on social media for years. Then last year another friend recognized him in an old photo I posted and passed me his account handle (not with his name). I was ecstatic! We spoke for days as we reconnected! We realized we both even ended up in the same field (medicine)!

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    Elle Lian
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    3 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I had to look it up! You can’t buy it on Amazon. https://tinyurl.com/Octopus-Onsie

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