This should be everyone's life mantra.

Each of us is ageing every single day, whether we choose to embrace it with open arms or fight it every step of the way. And I believe the journey is a much more fulfilling one when we choose to age mindfully, with acceptance, curiosity and a willingness to adapt and educate ourselves along the way.

I am also a firm believer that we have a responsibility to care for our mental and physical health throughout the journey. Preventive care, healthy habits and paying attention to our well-being along the way matter. We can’t neglect our health for decades and then simply blame ageing for the outcomes. Ageing is inevitable. How we care for ourselves along the way can make a meaningful difference in how we experience it.

I have a lot of hope for the future of ageing. And before I die, there are five things I would love to see accomplished in this space.

So, I’m putting them out into the universe, with the hope that I live to see some or all of them come true.

1. I want the word ageism to fade from our vocabulary because it no longer exists in our world.

When Robert Butler coined the term ageism nearly 60 years ago, he defined it as “a process of systematic stereotyping and discrimination against people because they are old,” comparing it directly to racism and sexism.

It is time to abolish this practice and the ways we perpetuate it against others and ourselves.

Ageing is a privilege. It is time we respect people of all ages equally, without judgment, assumptions, or stereotypes.

2. I want mobility devices, particularly walkers, to be cool.

Falls may sometimes be unavoidable as our balance and mobility change, but many are preventable when we acknowledge that our bodies aren't what they once were and recognize that adapting is not a failure.

If you need a walker, use a walker. There should be no shame in using a tool that helps you stay mobile, independent, and engaged in the life you want to live.

And honestly, why can't walkers be stylish?

These days, the bigger and funkier the eyeglasses, the more fashionable we are. Let’s do the same with walkers. Let’s make them something people want to use — not something they feel embarrassed to need.

3. I want us to think differently about how we get around as we age.

At some point in our lives, physical changes may make it unsafe for us to drive. Driving is a privilege, not a right, and we need to acknowledge that there may come a time when operating a 2,000–6,000-pound piece of machinery is no longer safe.

But giving up driving shouldn't mean giving up independence.

We need to create a world that anticipates this transition and offers viable transportation solutions that actually work in real life, not just on the mood boards of product designers.

We need cities and communities that can be navigated by people who don't drive and may not be able to walk long distances. Mobility should not have an expiration date.

4. I want to see more healthcare practitioners who truly understand ageing.

We take our children to pediatricians because they specialize in what children experience as they grow and develop. Our older adults deserve practitioners who understand the unique physical, psychological, and social changes that come with ageing.

We need more healthcare professionals who understand the ageing process and take the time to help their patients learn, adapt, and thrive as their lives change.

That means making ageing education a meaningful part of medical school curricula, and creating incentives for more healthcare professionals to enter the field of geriatrics and gerontology.

5. I want education about ageing to be something everyone experieces.

We teach our children about puberty and the changes that happen during adolescence. But what about the rest of their lives?

We should be teaching our youngers about the entire lifespan, not just the first 20 years of it.

Start in high school. Help younger people understand the physical, psychological, and social changes that happen as we move through life. Make ageing education a meaningful part of undergraduate education, regardless of a student's chosen field.

Because ageing isn't something that happens to other people. It is something every one of us gets to do. And perhaps if we understood that earlier in life, we would approach ageing, and the people who are already doing it, with a whole lot more acceptance, respect, and enthusiasm.

Ageing Equals Living.

With gratitude for 51 years,

Kerri Abrams, 

M.S. Gerontology

B.S. Visual Communication