by Alexa M. Ten Eyck

The term “active aging” cannot be restricted to any one category of activities. Instead, it reflects a pattern of engagement across a variety of experiences. The World Health Organization defines it as a process centered on health, participation, and quality of life across the lifespan.

Active aging, in practice, can look like a long-awaited trip years in the making. For Dana Davis, a member of the Stockbridge Area Senior Center, it looks like traveling to Australia after extensive time spent planning, despite roadblocks along the way. It looks like climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge, standing along Bondi Beach, and moving through the rainforest in Cairns. It looks like holding a koala, connecting with others along the way, and discovering that snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef feels truly spiritual.

Active aging knows no limits; In Davis’s case, it continues through the Outback to Uluru, where the surroundings invite a quieter kind of engagement. One shaped by reflection and the landscape itself. The pace shifts toward present moments watching penguins return at night or seeing the celestial Southern Cross in the night sky overhead.

For others, active aging happens closer to home, maybe by showing up for a class, trying something unfamiliar, or simply being present. At SASC, conversations buzz with happy stories that begin with “I just got back from…”  These stories build upon one another, shaping the environment by empowering that active aging process centered on health, participation, and quality of life.

The relevancy for our readers is that active aging is not limited to the walls of our Stockbridge Area Senior Center. Active aging in Stockbridge looks like participation, connection, and shared effort across all generations in our community. Members and volunteers of all ages are active and engaging through contributions that extend beyond any one single category of activities.

For those looking to understand the variety of experiences involved in active aging, the opportunity is already in motion. It  can be found by stepping into the Stockbridge Area Senior Center—tucked just beyond the everyday path, but well worth finding.

Golf outing sponsorships
In an effort to promote the importance of active aging and its critical connection to community collaboration, the Senior Center is offering sponsorship options for SASC’s 2nd Annual Golf Tournament, to be held on Friday, June 5. Golf outing sponsorships offer opportunities to return volunteer time back to local partners.

More information for becoming an event sponsor is available at the center or by messaging through the center’s Facebook page.

Alexa M. Ten Eyck is the board president of the Stockbridge Area Senior Center (SASC)—a great place to spend time. Experience firsthand a sense of connection and wellbeing at SASC. Visit stockbridgeareaseniors.org, call 517-480-0353, or stop in at 219 W. Elm Street for information.