Shirley Hodes, 106, and her sister Ruth Sweedler, 103, don’t do crosswords regularly, but both have remained sharp as they age.
Centenarian Ruth Sweedler has an impressive memory and can hold a good conversation about current events. Sweedler, who lives in a nursing home in Connecticut, is proud of how she has retained her faculties: “I don’t talk like an old lady.” It probably helps that she doesn’t think of herself as one: “I don’t feel old,” says Sweedler, who turned 103 in December.
His sister, Shirley Hodes, whose home for independent seniors is about 1,000 miles by car in North Carolina, agrees. “I’m not that old!” said Hodes, who is 106. “I don’t feel old, that’s the truth.” She is always enthusiastic about learning new things, especially from books. “I’ve never done a crossword puzzle,” Hodes says, but “I’ve always read a lot. It’s the best thing for the mind.”
The sisters share their top tips for staying sharp as you age:
- To work
Sweedler “loved to work,” she says. She was an amateur actress in local theater productions and was “very active” in various religious organizations. When her two children were older, Hodes got a full-time job as a paraprofessional and teacher’s assistant. She stayed for almost 20 years and did not retire until she was 70. “I liked working in high school,” she says.
An aptitude test had told her she could have been a teacher herself. It would have been exciting. She would also have loved being a journalist, she says, because “I’ve always enjoyed interviewing people.” Today, she uses these skills to get to know the other residents of her residence.
If you’re lucky enough to have a job you love, take advantage of it, she says: Being passionate about what you do “is very important.” It’s satisfying to “take full advantage of your talents,” she says, and “it makes life so much more enjoyable.”
- To log in
Hodes and Sweedler rave about the importance of family and especially a good relationship: “There’s nothing better,” says Sweedler. “It’s so wonderful to love and be loved.” “I was very lucky. My husband was easy going,” Hodes says. Until his death, they had “a wonderful relationship.”
“The people around you, friends, loved ones, family,” she adds, have a huge impact on you. “That’s what you’ll remember the most.” Although Sweedler’s husband also died, other close relationships she cultivated spanned decades. “I like having friends. I like people.” The former president of her congregation still comes to visit her, she said.
Curiosity keeps your mind active and engaged, Hodes says. “Some people are only interested in themselves,” and she’s not like that. “I’ve always been so interested in hearing people’s stories and backgrounds. They’re full of surprises.” “People like to talk about themselves,” she adds. “Just give them a chance to open up and remember what they tell you.”
- Learn
Sweedler favors entertainment that transports her or presents her with stimulating ideas. When she was younger, she liked to go to the theater with her friends. “We have seen marvelous pieces!” These days, she says, “I don’t watch TV except for the news.” And “I love to read!” she says. “This is my passion.”
“Older people can become inward looking when they have health issues. This can make it hard to have an open mind,” Hodes says. Her thirst for knowledge led her to take classes at the local university as soon as she retired. Although she had to sit in the front row to see and hear the teacher, she passed the class.
Art and literature also broadened his horizons. “I have some wonderful books,” she says: Lately she’s been listening to non-fiction audiobooks about elephants, the Jews of Salonica and American opera singer Jessye Norman. “It’s very different from my background”, and that makes the content exciting: “There’s always so much to learn!”
- Enjoy
Hodes never had the opportunity to go to college when she was young. It’s one of his few regrets. She and Sweedler were the youngest of eight children in a cramped apartment; their parents were immigrants who had to make ends meet. “We had to be careful because there were so many of us,” she says.
Still, she acknowledges that “you can’t have it all.” And “when you have the important things in life, you have to realize it.” “My secret? I am a lucky person. Although I had illnesses and problems, I overcame them,” she says. “I’m healthy, enjoying life, grateful for a wonderful life. It supports me and keeps me fit.”
Nowadays, Sweedler can no longer travel. Although she used to walk several miles each day, her mobility is now limited enough that she cannot always go out. She would like her body to be as strong as her mind. But she is grateful for what she has. “Luckily I can still read,” she says, “and I read wonderful things.”
Hodes shares this opinion. If you want to live a long, healthy life, “having a good mindset doesn’t hurt,” she points out. “I am satisfied. I have been blessed.”