Exercise Enlightens

Photo by Raja Sambaslvan.

Going to the gym gives me a good workout--body, mind and soul. If I get myself to the gym, I improve my physical fitness, my cognition, and my peace of mind.

It took me a while to recognize that the gym at time offers me spiritual enlightenment. It's not just the endorphins talking.  The gym offers some insights about life when I take the time to notice.

Photo by Bob Cotter.

1. We are all equal at the gym.  All people are equal when faced with fundamental tasks such as walking on a treadmill.

It doesn't matter how old we are, where we live, how much education we have, or what we do for a living.  The only question is this: can I move my feet to keep pace?

From time to time, I look around at all the people on the cardio machines or all the people in the exercise class and feel great unity with them. We are all united in our quest for greater physical fitness.

I sometimes want to break out in song.  But that would spoil the moment, so I just note the swelling in my heart and smile.

Objects that Mark Time

Photo by Tim Ellis. 

I'm often so consumed by my day-to-day tasks that I fail to note the passing of time. But there are moments that make me very aware.

Yes, clocks and calendars help me mark time.

But I also see a few objects around me that help me realize that time is leaving its mark on various objects--including me!

I experienced a keen awareness of time earlier this week when I visited my centenarian friend Gladys Bever, b. 1910.

Gladys & one of her mother's paintings

Her son Harold Bever had come to visit the same day. Harold carried with him a painting that his maternal grandmother had painted.

Glady's mother is Harriet "Hattie" Amy Leet Beilby Oakley. Here is a link to her grave marker.

Harriet was married twice, having been widowed when Ralph Wright Beilby (b. 1871) died in 1904.

Gladys is Harriet's child from her second marriage, which was to Amasa George Oakley (b. 1874, d. 1932).

Here is a link to the 1920 census record for Glady's family when she was 9 years old.

What struck me most that day was realizing that Glady's mother was born in 1873.

Multiple Causes for Insomnia

Photo by Eric.

I figure if I'm having regular trouble sleeping, I might as well start a series of blog posts (one per month) on insomnia.

As a midlife woman, I can expect to have a little trouble sleeping. However, I don't want to resign myself to lack of sleep without trying to understand it better and address it.

And not all sleeping problems are due to age-related causes including menopause. People of both genders and all ages experience trouble sleeping from time to time.

So instead of just counting sheep, I'm going to read broadly about the topic and share my findings with others here on my blog.

At first glance, I have learned that there can be a variety of causes of insomnia. I could never list them all, but a quick sort tells me that the cause might stem from one or more of the following areas:

• Poor sleep environment
• Poor sleep schedule
• Eating Insomnia-inducing foods
• Not eating sleep-inducing foods 
• Exercise problems
• Insomnia-inducing Medications
• Psychological Disruptions 
• Emotional Disruptions
• Menopause / Perimenopause
• Acute Physical Problems
• Chronic Physical Problems

I will post information about a few of these causes. By the end of this series, I hope to have fewer sleepless nights. 

Related: 

Logging More Sleep
Sleep-inducing Foods

Three Films on Aging Parents

Photo by Spreng Ben.

I recently viewed Cherry Blossoms (2008), a German-language film with aging themes.  It distinguished itself in its depiction of a German couple and their adult children trying to adjust to the parents' changing needs as they age.

Nevertheless, Cherry Blossoms alluded strongly to the 1953 Japanese-language film Tokyo Story.  In turn, Tokyo Story draws on the English-language film Make Way for Tomorrow (1937).

I found them all thought provoking.  The recurrence of the theme moving from 1937 to 1953 to 2008 makes a strong case for recommending all of them.  But start with just one.

All three films take a good, hard look at how adult children respond to their parents' aging process. And it's not a pretty scene.

I was mesmerized by Cherry Blossoms (2008).  As with all three films, it's an ensemble cast of characters portraying aging parents and their children.  This most contemporary version is paced faster than Tokyo Story and is much less preachy than Make Way for Tomorrow.

Here is a trailer for the fairly contemporary film Cherry Blossoms (2008):