For those of us who are seniors, what was the one thing that surprised you the most about getting older?

I've got all my mom's very expensive lighted magnifiers FF.
My sister bought me one of those magnifying mirrors too but the last thing I want is to see myself that close up 🤣

cwillie, same here regarding my eyes. I use to be able to thread a needle and read the tiny print on anything. After having cataract surgery, all of that changed. Can't wear readers or bi-focals as they make me feel too seasick. Now have to use a magnifying glass.... Carson makes a really nice 3.5" circle magnifying glass, comfortable handle.

At 66 the thing that surprised me was: "How did I get here so fast?" It seems everything that I'd wanted to do and kept putting off until "later" never materialized and here it is: "later". It's unlikely I'll get do those things, and honestly, I don't even want to do them anymore. I don't seem to be able to retain information the way I used to and my problem solving ability seems to be circling the drain. Just hoping that it's not a sign of imminent dementia. The other thing that sucks about getting old is realizing that though I'm doing my darndest to take care of my 94-year old mom, that there's going to be no one, zippo, zilch to help me out should I reach that age. It's disturbing and depressing.

I am 67. I used to be a goodie two shoes when I was young. I was groomed to be a people pleaser by my mother but had had an epiphany a few years ago that I was a sucker. I have decided life is too short and I should do what I want and not let my life be navigated by other peoples’ demands. For the record my 94 year old mother is not happy with me with the decisions I’ve made but I am trying to live my best life now. Being a senior with most of my good years behind me had made me realize there are no do overs. You go around once.

I agree with Funkygrandmom. I call things like I see it now. I'm only 61. I don't just let things go anymore. Not to say that I flip out every second but if someone is rude or mean to me I call them on it.

It's good to not be someone's doormat.

The big surprise has been caregiving one after another. When I was a kid, people would die after a brief illness or maybe a longer one, and that was that. Thank goodness I can keep on taking care of my LO! But this is the last one, I swear. I won't be able to do this again.

Surprised how much physical strength and stamina I've lost, but equally surprised at how much stronger I am emotionally. My motto is "Roll with it, Baby!"

I am 80 and it surprises me how quickly it comes, and who, by the way is that old woman staring out of mirrors and window reflection? You still feel much more young inwardly if you are so lucky as to be fully able in your later years.
So, how quick it comes and how fast time flies when you are there (breakfast every 15 minutes, basically) and how you still feel young (and even uncertain) "inside".
I hope the admins will move this to discussions where it will be longer-lived. An interesting question.

I'll be 66 at the end of this month. At 64 everything seemed to hit. I had to start dialysis, Insulin went up to 4 shots a day, my husband died. Had two serious falls in less than a year and the last one landed me in a wheelchair. It's either I'm getting old or i have really bad luck. I think it's age.

I have always had to watch my weight even when in my teens. I hardly eat anything now to maintain it. And I hate the water gain. I feel bloaty.

I’m dismayed by the fact that even when in respectable health and good fitness, how fast you lose ground if there’s any setbacks, and then how much more time & effort it takes to reclaim what was lost, if even possible.

How hard it is for me to get UP when I'm sitting on the floor playing with my grandson. I have to find something to hold onto in order to pull myself up, or I can't seem to do it.

I hate hate hate that my body is failing one little piece at a time.
First it was my eyes - multi focal lenses here we come, but no matter what I do I still can't really see fine details any more.
Then my feet went wonky; I need toe separators and arch supports and metatarsal pads and no sooner do I fix one thing than something else crops up.
Weight gain and muscle loss post menopause - I used to be someone that people hated because I could pig out on anything and never even think about it, now I must be obsessive about getting my 20,000 steps every day or my weight begins to creep up.
I need a jar opener now.
And my back hurts.
I can't balance on one leg to put on my shoes or socks... plus I have trouble even bending that far because my hips just don't want to do that.

This is why getting old isn't for sissies, god help me I'm only 62 and the women in my family tend to live into their 90's!

For me, at 66 which I don't consider old by any standard--it's just the fatigue that has hit this past year.

It could be that in 2022 we: moved to a new house that needed a total re-haul and we're still not done, 2 weeks of COVID and the long haul of feeling just not 'great', DH's plans to retire and he keeps putting off all the paperwork, etc, so it looks like he won't be retiring, watching him get 'dottier' by the day. His natural spaciness is much worse, he can't remember anything outside of work details (and there he is brilliant, so I know it's not dementia)...still rehabbing a major foot/ankle surgery from last year, having a cardiac ablation a few weeks ago, mother dying in the midst of all this--family becoming fractured and needing to have the estate settled so we can go back to ignoring each other...

I HAVE to take a 2 hr nap everyday or I can't make it through the day. This drives DH crazy. He doesn't GET IT..and frankly, neither do I.

Always been the kind of person who can juggle 6 balls in the air. Now I don't want to do ANYTHING.

Even though I'm only 63 and "technically" not a senior yet(unless there's a discount involved)the thing that surprised me the most(and I must say pleasantly surprised me)was the fact that I no longer tolerate people's bulls**t, and am able to call them out if needed. I also don't hold back on something that I feel needs to be said, in fear of what others may think, as I am my own person, and that too is a good thing.
I had always heard that as we get older we tend to lose our filters, but thought that that applied to those 80 and above, so was surprised that it has hit me as young as I am. But I guess when you've been through as much as I have in my life, I've earned that right to say what I want, when I want.
My friends and family have just gotten used to it and will say that I don't have a problem just calling things as I see them, and I think that's actually a good thing, as life is just too short to pretend you're someone or something you're not.
I call it having wisdom and discernment, which more people should have, yet many don't. Perhaps that's something that doesn't come until we've had enough life under our belts huh?