“The doctor went into the examining room and, leaning over my father, who was still lying on a gurney, he asked in a condescending way, ‘What do you want me to do, Mr. Wyner, make you younger?’ And my father [who was 87] responded with words that will always be with me: ‘Younger I have been, doctor. Make me older.’”
— Justin L. Wyner of Dedham, Massachusetts, chairman emeritus, Shawmut Corp.
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“We can either squander time or sanctify it. The personal tragedy, the waste, lies in what we can do with time but do not — the life we do not give; the happiness we do not earn; the kindness we neglect to bestow; the gratitude we have not expressed; the noble thoughts and deeds we would realize if we truly live life today.”
— Earl A. Grollman, Ph.D., of Belmont, Massachusetts, rabbi emeritus, Beth El Temple Center
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“Older age is a good time to learn something new. You don’t have to be ‘good’ at it. Take chances. Guess. You might be right.”
— Erlene Rosowsky of Newton, Massachusetts, geropsychologist, William James College
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“I would like to imagine that when I am remembered, people will smile, shake their head, laugh, or even get slightly moist around their eyes when they think of me. Then I’ll know I’m still with them.”
— Peggy E. Chait of New York, N.Y., Wall Street consultant and creative writer
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“My strongest advice to anyone is to always be yourself and never forget where you came from.”
— Clara Melendres Apodaca of Albuquerque, New Mexico, former first lady of New Mexico
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“What matters is not the number of years you have lived, but how you have helped yourself and helped others.”
— Stanley P. Rosenzweig, Ph.D., of Dedham, Massachussetts, clinical psychologist, founder of the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology (now William James College)
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“I believe that the job of grandparents is to embrace each grandchild with unquestioning support. It is not our job to discipline or correct our grandchildren; their parents will surely do that.”
— Sherri L. Meade of Hatfield, Massachusetts, retired technology executive, IBM
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“I believe in making constant efforts to extend my life into the future and to share it with others. Hopefully, doing so will extend my life; and in any event, it will add to my peace of mind.”
— Irving I. Silverman of Dedham, Massachusetts, the force behind “Aging Wisely”
