PREPARING FOR HEALTHY OLD AGE

A few days ago, I did something for an elderly woman, and she blessed me, praying I’d live to 100. I immediately replied, Ma, 80 is a good number for me. She was shocked. 

Unless science extends lifespans to 400 years and unless a 100-year-old can have the energy of a 20-year-old I’m content with 80. It’s a free world: anyone can wish for 200 years and enjoy life to the fullest. But for me, I dream of ending my journey like this; after morning devotion with family, playing football with my grandchildren, telling them I need a little rest… then peacefully tucked into bed, ready to meet my Creator.  

I don’t want comas, wheelchairs, or weekly hospital routines. Unless medicine transforms aging, today’s reality especially in Nigeria is different. Life expectancy here is low. For city dwellers like us, reaching a healthy old age takes special grace. By 50, many need daily medication just to function or sleep.  

Someone once claimed the rich live longer because they afford healthcare. I disagreed. The secret; Visit Abuja’s estates on weekends, you’ll see families exercising men, women, youth, even children. They buy fruits regularly. Meanwhile, many less privileged people haven’t exercised in 10–20 years though some men play football. For women in these communities, physical activity is often rare.  

And the rich, I’ve noticed a troubling trend, developers strip land of trees, pave every inch, and pack houses with AC. People move from AC cars to AC houses, breathing recycled air 24/7. That’s no “blessing” for longevity it’s cutting 10 years off your life.  

During an outreach in an Abuja community, I saw the a costly development, shade trees were rarer than gold. Tiny houses had tiny windows, gutters snaking past doors. No green spaces, no fresh air.  

Truth is, long life isn’t just about prayers. It’s choices:  

- The food we eat,  

- Staying active,  

- Prioritizing natural air and green spaces,  

- Rejecting “progress” that harms our health.  

We can reduce old age suffering if we rethink how we live.

Until the moment when will shall dance in white Greater Grace.

Oyugbo Osagie Jonah 

#mondaymotivation