Anonymous wrote:I’ve been involved with a small local charity for almost 20 years; started as a young SAHM and was at one time, the youngest board member by about 2 decades.
The most active, vital, energetic seniors I’ve gotten to know very well are fully engaged in our all-volunteer mission. They help run day to day operations at the charity plus pursue other interests and charity opportunities, travel, visit family, operate side businesses, take exercise classes, golf, basically run circles around me!
They, collectively, are my inspiration: all sharp, active, mobile, independent and just lovely and kind. They keep an active schedule.
Not so my ILs at 78. They’ve never been “joiners” - don’t know their neighbors, their few local friends have died or moved away, they are codependent, only my FIL drives, MIL refuses to fly, they have zero outside activities much less interest in volunteerism. Their world is getting increasingly smaller and stifling.
Maybe they are fine with it, even if it would stifle you.