If you look closely at the fourth finger on my left hand, just above where my wedding rings sit, I have grown a callous. I couldn’t tell you when it first began to form, but I first noticed it about two years ago. It made me smile.
It’s not surprising that it’s there; I wear my rings constantly and I have a hands-on job. Its existence was always a matter of time, a natural consequence of the decisions I have made decades ago.
I realise that at 43 years old, to some I seem ancient. I had a child in the practice size me up the other day and guess that I was 27 as if this was the biggest number they could perceive someone living to. They were gobsmacked when I told them my age. Others might consider 43 to be young, with a good dose of naivety that goes hand in hand with inexperience. I don’t feel old enough to be an expert on aging and yet the good folk that keep CCK running thought it was a topic for me.
I’ll admit, I more than smirked when I saw my name next to it.
And yet, there isn’t another age I would rather be. Like most of us, as a kid I couldn’t wait to be a “Grown up.” This was especially true for my teenage years. I was routinely asked for my ID well into my twenties. It used to make me mad until the day they stopped.
Aging gets a bad rap- just consider the phenomenal market for anti-aging potions and tricks. Lately, I’ve begun trying to embrace the ageing process rather than run from it. I’m comfortable with my grey streak (my streak of wisdom). I love the growing number of crow’s feet in the corner of my eyes- they are proof of my happy life.
I think how well we age is a function of the decisions we make, especially the ones we stick to. At every age we have a choice to make health promoting decisions. The earlier we embrace them, the more their benefits compound.
After one week of giving up smoking, your sense of taste and smell improves. After one month of exercise, improvements in mood, strength and aerobic capacity are noticeable. After one year of eating more vegetables, you can expect to see improvements in many of the biomarkers for lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and cancer.
This year, I have implemented a simple system to help make good changes to my lifestyle stick. Every three months, I commit to adding in a healthy (or healthier) habit. So far this year, I have incorporated into my routine regular running, regular saunas, and seed cycling. It’s nice to give myself three months to incorporate a good change. I don’t want to overwhelm myself with alterations, but if I can
make four changes a year to improve my quality of life, then that can be very powerful over several years. I don’t doubt that there will still be callouses. Hopefully they will be ones I’m willing to live with.
It’s easy to think of the callous as unsightly, but I honestly cannot. I love being a chiropractor, working with my hands, and helping people. I also love being married to my husband and the sparkle that the rings give is a gentle reminder of the importance of our commitment- one I want to have and actively choose to have constantly.
Jo x
