A whole new chapter begins with the new age

By Elena Corbacio

So this is 70. Wow! Wow, because I’m thrilled to have reached this wonderful age and wow because as I look back on my life I seemed to have dodged many bullets.

For so long I heard, “Don’t do this or that, you’ll pay for it when you get older. Your siblings went through this or that, so you will.”

I could go on and on. I secretly laugh when I hear remarks like that.

I was born July 5, 1939 at 2:30 a.m. I was independent even then. The 4th of July was already a special celebration. I wanted my own special day.

I am the youngest of a large family. I was labeled spoiled and different, but the years have taught me different.

I truly feel people wanted me to be one thing. God another. Time has taught me God won.

He always does. I experience so much inner peace. I wish we all would learn to let go and let God guide us. Life becomes so much easier.

I love starting my day reading scripture, throwing on walking clothes and going for my daily walk.

I love music and dancing. So if it’s bad weather out, I put my music on and do low impact aerobics inside.

I love being around very young children and admire young parents today.

I enjoy volunteer work.

I tell everyone I live by the three P’s—play hard, plan hard, and pray hard.

I enjoy driving people to doctor appointments (all ages) and do this through F.I.S.H.

If I find out a young couple is celebrating a birthday or anniversary, my “gift” to them is to stay with their kids while they go out and celebrate.

It’s a wonderful surprise to them, well received and very much appreciated by them and I get my grandma fix. A win-win situation for all.

I love volunteering over Thanksgiving and Christmas at the Rescue Mission and have given myself this gift for many years now. I’m known for celebrating Christmas for many months after the actual date of 12/25. It’s nice. The gift of time spent with family and friends is a great gift. I stretch Christmas out as long as I can.

I enjoy reading a lot and spend a lot of time doing just that.

I moved into a senior citizen apartment six years ago. Another wonderful gift I gave myself. Far too many people move into a complex like this because their children feel they should. So once they get here, they are not happy.

I moved here because I wanted to. My personal opinion: Move here while you still can move around a lot.

Once you reach the point when you can’t get around easily and have to stay put, you have lots of memories to draw on.

Young people today take good care of themselves. While growing up (at least for me), women didn’t have hobbies. So at 60, I decided I wanted one. I took up ballroom dancing. No, you’ll never see me on “Dancing With The Stars,” but dancing opened many doors for me. I met a lot of nice people. And like I said earlier, now I use what I learned as a form of exercise.

My family is infested with diabetes. In 1994, I too had unhealthy health numbers and weight.

Today, my numbers are good as well as my weight and eating habits. I don’t live to eat. I eat to live.

Listening to people through the years, so many, many wonderful things that have happened to me should not have happened.

Wait until you reach such and such an age; you’ll see. Well, I don’t know what I’m waiting to see but I do know what I do see and I like it.

At 12:01 a.m. on July 5, 2009 I’m sure I heard God say, “Hold on tight, lady, the best is yet to come.” For my birthday gift to myself, I joined the “Y.” So here I grow again.

My thanks to everyone who has helped me reach this wonderful age. My advice? Smile easy and pray hard.
I’m a very blessed senior citizen. See you when I’m 80.

Elena Corbacio is a Fayetteville resident.