Get up and Go

I find my role models living with gusto. They hike to new places, dance with enthusiasm, embrace romance, share their skills and make sacrificial contributions to their world. Contributions and wisdom come with age, and millions of midlifers celebrate their advancing years with grace and gusto. Consider what these people accomplished in their later years. And then consider what you can do.

Climb a mountain. Gracie McNicol (1891-1991) and her friend Father Rufus Morgan (1885-1983) competed for the most trips up Mount LeConte, a 6,593-foot peak in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Gracie took her 244th trip on horseback to celebrate her 92nd birthday. She didn’t even begin climbing LeConte until she was 62. As she approached 100, Gracie told a friend, “I’m climbing Mount LeConte in my mind this year.”

Walk the Appalachians. Raising 11 children wasn’t enough for Emma Gatewood (1888-1973). She became one of the first female hikers to complete the 2,000 miles of the Appalachian Trail. She finished her first hike at age 67 wearing Keds tennis shoes. At age 75, she became the first person to complete the trail three times.

Be a bride—or a groom. J.C. and Lucille Moreland of Cleveland, Tenn., had their first date in their early teens, but they didn’t marry. They met again in their 80s after their spouses had died. They rekindled their childhood spark, inspiring Lucille to say, “His hand touched my waist, and I melted.” J.C. was 85 and Lucille was 81 when they said, “I do.” Age doesn’t stop romance.

Dance a waltz. Beecher Burress was in his 60s when his wife died. He later took dance lessons and discovered he had a knack for moving gracefully. Now, at age 88, he is in high demand as a dance partner on Saturday evenings.

Write a book. Sisters Sarah Louise (1889-1999) and Annie Elizabeth Delany (1891-1995) wrote Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years. Later, Sarah wrote of life without her sister in On My Own at 107. She was 109 when she died.

Entertain strangers. Bob and Betty Vande Weghe moved from Florida to Brevard, N.C., nearly 20 years ago to establish a secluded bed-and-breakfast. Betty has since passed away. But today, at 84, Bob and his daughter Linda continue to welcome guests to The Sassy Goose.

Spread the Word. Dave and Elwanda Fields raised their four children on the mission field. Today, in their 80s, they still serve in Kenya training the next generation of missionaries. Their own children and grandchildren also carry the Fieldses’ legacy of faith as far away as Paraguay and Zambia.

In Psalm 71:18, we find the request “Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.” Seeing how others have stretched and chased their dreams fuels my belief that it’s possible to delight in every new day.