Of the many signs of aging, the one that clearly shows that the world has noticed you are over 65, is when you start receiving catalogues from Better Senior Living, Healthy Living, Feel Good Store, Carol Wright Gifts, Harriet Carter and Dr. Leonard’s, to name a few.
At first you throw these catalogues away, feeling rather insulted wondering how they mistakenly got your name. That lasts a few years. The recycling gets a bit heavier as more and more catalogues make it to the trash.
The next stage of aging has you thumbing through the catalogue while having your morning cup of coffee after you completed your crossword puzzle. You are thinking it would be good for a laugh as you notice items you never knew existed like a shower foot scrubber. This tool suctions securely to any bath or shower providing an alternative to bending when you need to exfoliate your feet. You simply slip into this brush that adheres to the surface and provides a pumice stone to your heel and bristles to your foot. Who knew? Another amusing aide is the easy earwax remover that you might have seen on TV. This handy dandy has 16 tips and goes into your ear at the perfect distance to safely and easily remove ear wax- a definite must have. LOL
The next stage of aging has you looking through Ms. Wrights’, Ms. Carters’, and Dr. Len’s with an eye for possible purchases to make your life easier. Now you begin to see the usefulness of that wedge that you place under your legs for that great leg lift aid to circulation. The gripper, reacher thing finds its way into your broom closet. Then there is the fabulous sock slider. No more straining to put on your socks that you stopped wearing in winter because they were too hard to pull on.
And in the ensuing years you may look at these catalogues as instrumental and informative. One may have arthritis, diabetes, incontinence, pain; problems with mobility, circulation, sleeping, and problems with pleasuring. Now you have reached the stage when you see Senior Living, Healthy Living, Feel Good, Carols, Harriets and Lens’, as hopeful. Now you know that there are others who have gone before you and aged, and longed for comfort and ease. Now you know that they discovered ways to cope with the ravages of old age. These entrepreneurs weren’t only thinking of getting rich with their inventions and salves. They wanted to pass on what they discovered. They wanted those that came after them to profit from their experience.
For me I want to thank the person that made these things available: the step ladder with safety rails, the adult size bib, the clap key finder, the pill pod organizer, the compression stockings, the discrete unisex urinal, the horizontal, spill-proof drinking cup and especially the vibrator.
In conclusion, he who laughs last, laughs best; and I hope these clever comfort developers are laughing all the way to the bank because aging is no laughing matter.

Ellen Blaufarb is a Marriage Family Therapist.

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