Finding Gratitude in Chores, Creaks and Challenges of Aging

I don’t want to bore you with my usual gratitude list—I think those lists all start to sound alike after a while. (You can check out My Gratitude List of 2023 if you missed it.)

created by ChatGPT - 11/22/2025

But this year I started wondering why the things I’m thankful for—friends, family, books, art, and living in a place where all of that is so easy to enjoy—feel especially important now.

Turns out, I’m grateful for them because they keep me moving, distract me from aging, and remind me that life is still good, even when it creaks.

Thankful for the Stuff That’s a Pain

This line of thought started first thing in the morning as I opened the bedroom curtain—you know, the new one with the pokey stick I’d like to use as a weapon (see The Choice to Be Happy). It’s a pain to operate. It requires more strength and endurance than the previous one, which seemed effortless in comparison.

Looking on the bright side, I realized I can count this as one set of upper-body weights (another boring chore).

Same with emptying the dehumidifier, a twice-daily chore. This morning, I had trouble getting the tank back in place. After several failed attempts, I finally crouched on the floor to see the tracks. It went in—eventually. And just like that, I could check “dexterity exercises” off my to-do list.

And then there are the vertical blinds. Each of the four operates differently. Do I twist this one right or left? Do I pull the stick or use the cord? Last night, one of the guides slipped out of the track and became a cat toy. Hubby reinserted it, but it needed adjusting. Fine motor skills, check.

Counting these chores as exercise isn’t cheating, is it? At my age, you count everything you can.

Besides, I’ve adjusted my expectations. There was a time when I tracked my jogging pace, how much weight I could lift, and how long I could hold a plank. Now, I’m just happy if I get through my chores and do my PT exercises.

Thankful for Distractions

In 2023, I said I was grateful for art, music, friends, and technology. Of course, I’m still grateful; they bring me joy. I can marvel at Monet, bop to the Beach Boys, and dream up adventures with friends.

But here’s the deeper truth: all of these things distract me from worrying about my age.

A good painting takes me on a journey. Enjoying art feels like connecting with the artist’s spirit—their color, line, texture, and mood. If I know enough about them, I’m transported into their world for a few moments.

If you haven’t seen Loving Vincent (1), the world’s first fully hand-painted feature film, you should. It pulls you right into Van Gogh’s world. And afterward, listen to Don McLean’s Starry Night  while watching Van Gogh’s images swirl on YouTube. Magic.

Like the song Bye-Bye Blackbird (2) says, these things help me “pack up all my cares and woes.” They keep my mind focused on beauty, curiosity, and imagination—not on the march of time.

Thankful That I’m Easily Distracted

I’ve mentioned before that I’m a Myers-Briggs Perceiving type. I prefer flexibility, spontaneity, and keeping my options open. (A trait that sometimes drives hubby crazy.) Perceivers gather information and delay decisions so they can stay open to possibilities.

Which is a nice, psychological way of saying: I’m easily distracted.

Not AD/HD distracted—I can finish tasks. And at this age, I’m not hyperactive. But if you’re at dinner with me and mention an obscure fact, I will Google it. Fortunately, my friends are just as curious, and we go down rabbit holes together with great enthusiasm.

I’m thankful that at this age, I can still be amazed by art, music, technology, and dogs who walk into the clubhouse lobby carrying giant stuffed bones.

Reident's black lab - he carried the bone everywhere - so cute

These distractions keep me from focusing on my aches and pains. And that alone feels worth celebrating.

Thankful to Live in a Place Where Everyone's Older

Not only am I grateful for my friends and neighbors, I’m grateful we’re all roughly the same age, with similar interests, challenges, and aches.

People here can recommend the best hip replacement surgeon, the hairdresser who performs miracles on thinning gray hair, and the physical therapist who fixes anything.

Aging feels less lonely when everyone faces the same challenges and does it with humor.

Thankful I Can Laugh at All of It

Most of all, I’m thankful I can laugh when life throws me curveballs: the shrinking apartment, the shrinking waistbands (or growing belly), the ever-expanding list of doctor visits, and the landscaping truck that barrels past my window at 6:15 every morning.

The ability to laugh doesn’t stop the challenges, but it definitely makes them smaller.

A Wish for You

This Thanksgiving, I hope that despite whatever troubles you’re juggling, you can find even more things to be thankful for—big or small, serious or silly.

Sometimes the things that annoy us the most end up being the things that keep us going.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

References

1. Dorota Kobirla, Hugh Welchman (Directors), 2017, Loving Vincent, Hugh Welchman, Ivan McTaggart, Sean M. Bobbitt (Producers).  It’s available on Netflix, Kanopy, or for $2.99 on YouTube.

2. Ray Henderson, Mort Dixon, Bye Bye, Blackbird, 1926. : (Julie London version, Peggy Lee Version, Paul McCartney version, Miles Davis Version).