e <strong>in</strong>creased <strong>in</strong>stead of decreasedfor our protection.The couple feels that <strong>the</strong>government needs to get out ofpeople’s lives and that we allneed to promote better morals.In compar<strong>in</strong>g yesteryear totoday, <strong>the</strong> Taylors stated thatwe have better technology,make more money, arehealthier and we have betteropportunities, add<strong>in</strong>g that ifonly we will take advantagesof <strong>the</strong>m. Yet with <strong>the</strong> betterment<strong>the</strong>y feel we have givenup a lot also, such as familycloseness, lost a lot of our valuesand morals and that Godhas been taken out of people’slives.In clos<strong>in</strong>g Robert said <strong>the</strong>best th<strong>in</strong>g that has happened tohim was marry<strong>in</strong>g Sheila at 17years of age. I am thankful forher support to me over all <strong>the</strong>years. She has been my greatestsupporter and encourager.Jok<strong>in</strong>gly he said, “She hasnever sent me home to mama.”Robert said he is alsothankful for all his family,friends and his community for<strong>the</strong>ir love and support.Shelia’s f<strong>in</strong>al commentswere, “In do<strong>in</strong>g Foster Childrenand Exchange Studentswe have become a team. Experiencega<strong>in</strong>ed through <strong>the</strong>years has been a great help tous as a team. With that manychildren <strong>in</strong> your home, <strong>the</strong>re isalways someth<strong>in</strong>g to do and bywork<strong>in</strong>g toge<strong>the</strong>r it helps buildbondage between us and <strong>the</strong>children. I’m so thankful for<strong>the</strong> opportunity to share with<strong>the</strong>m <strong>the</strong> closeness of a familylife. It br<strong>in</strong>gs great joy to us thatmany of <strong>the</strong> children that wehave had <strong>in</strong> our home still wantto be a part of our life.”In clos<strong>in</strong>g we are rem<strong>in</strong>dedof a famous quote by Dr. JamesC. Dobson that sums up Robertand Sheila Taylor:“Children are not casualguests <strong>in</strong> our home. They havebeen loaned to us temporarilyfor <strong>the</strong> purpose of lov<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>mand <strong>in</strong>still<strong>in</strong>g a foundation ofvalues on which <strong>the</strong>ir futurelives will be built.”A LITTLE SENIOR HUMORDid Anyone See My Face?A hooded robber burst <strong>in</strong>to a Texas Bank and forced<strong>the</strong> tellers to load a sack full of cash. On his way out <strong>the</strong>door a brave Texas customer grabbed <strong>the</strong> hood andpulled it off reveal<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> robber's face. The robber shot<strong>the</strong> customer without a moment's hesitation.He <strong>the</strong>n looked around <strong>the</strong> bank and noticed one of<strong>the</strong> tellers look<strong>in</strong>g straight at him. The robber <strong>in</strong>stantlyshot him also.Everyone else, by now very scared, looked <strong>in</strong>tentlydown at <strong>the</strong> floor <strong>in</strong> silence.The Robber yelled, "Well, did anyone else see myface?"There are a few moments of utter silence, <strong>in</strong> whicheveryone was pla<strong>in</strong>ly afraid to speak. Then one old mantentatively raised his hand and said, "My wife got a goodlook at you."36<strong>Mature</strong> <strong>Liv<strong>in</strong>g</strong> W<strong>in</strong>ter Edition
health newsIs Poor Posture Ag<strong>in</strong>g You?Like f<strong>in</strong>e w<strong>in</strong>e, <strong>the</strong> wisdomof parental advice improveswith age. Researchshows your mo<strong>the</strong>r was evenright about stand<strong>in</strong>g upstraight, as shown by newstudies f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g that peoplewith better posture really arehealthier and actuallylive longer.Th<strong>in</strong>k of someoneover 80 who looks andlives <strong>the</strong> way you wantto when you get to bethat age. Now ask yourself,“How is thatperson’s posture?”Even though mostpeople <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir 80s suffer<strong>the</strong> bent-over slumpof age, you’re probablyth<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g of someonewho still stands tall anderect.Not only are <strong>the</strong>re <strong>in</strong>tuitivereasons whypeople with good postureare healthier andmore active, but poorposture also has a dramaticeffect on ano<strong>the</strong>rgrow<strong>in</strong>g problem fac<strong>in</strong>g olderadults: falls and poor balance.Accord<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong> NationalSafety Council, over 1.5 millionpeople over 65 are seriously<strong>in</strong>jured each year <strong>in</strong>falls, which cause nearly14,000 deaths, with ano<strong>the</strong>rquarter suffer<strong>in</strong>g debilitat<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>juries that affect <strong>the</strong>m for<strong>the</strong> rest of <strong>the</strong>ir lives. In addition,poor posture affectshow well your heart canpump blood, and even howwell you can brea<strong>the</strong>.As a cl<strong>in</strong>ician, posture expertand author of StandTaller~Live Longer: An Anti-Ag<strong>in</strong>g Strategy, Dr. StevenWe<strong>in</strong>iger often advisespeople to feel for <strong>the</strong>mselves<strong>the</strong> difference posture makes<strong>in</strong> how your body works withthis simple demonstration:“While slump<strong>in</strong>g forward<strong>in</strong> a chair, take a breath <strong>in</strong> andnote how deeply you canbrea<strong>the</strong>. Then, scoot yourbottom back <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> chair, pullyour shoulders down, liftyour head up and sit tall.Note <strong>the</strong> significant differencewhen you take <strong>in</strong> a deepbreath while ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>gstrong posture.”Unfortunately, most of usare spend<strong>in</strong>g more time thanever slumped <strong>in</strong> front of a TV,computer, or video game, andour poor posture is gett<strong>in</strong>gworse. If you stop to th<strong>in</strong>kabout it, you're likely slump<strong>in</strong>gas you read this (unlessyou just straightened up a bit).When you spend 18 hours aday with your body folded<strong>in</strong>to a chair,you'll go backto <strong>the</strong> slump assoon as youstop th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>gabout it. Theproblem withimprov<strong>in</strong>g postureis, no matterhow goodyour <strong>in</strong>tentions,just try<strong>in</strong>gto stand upstraighter simplydoesn'twork (case <strong>in</strong>po<strong>in</strong>t: are youslouch<strong>in</strong>gaga<strong>in</strong>?).R e n é eNorth, CertifiedPostureExercise Professional(CPEP) has this advicefor improv<strong>in</strong>g posture.“In order to make a change,we must retra<strong>in</strong> our motionpatterns, and this beg<strong>in</strong>s withbecom<strong>in</strong>g aware of our posturefirst, and <strong>the</strong>n develop<strong>in</strong>gnew habits. Incorporat<strong>in</strong>ga One-Leg Balance <strong>in</strong>todaily life is a great place tostart. Make this exercise animmediate part of your dailyrout<strong>in</strong>e and you will see andfeel a difference.”We<strong>in</strong>iger’s One-Leg Bal-you feel good and age well.<strong>Mature</strong> <strong>Liv<strong>in</strong>g</strong> W<strong>in</strong>ter Edition 37anceYour posture is ultimatelyhow your body is balanc<strong>in</strong>g.Even if someone is stand<strong>in</strong>gcrooked, mechanically <strong>the</strong>yare balanced or <strong>the</strong>y wouldfall down! Stand<strong>in</strong>g on onefoot is a way of see<strong>in</strong>g howgood your idea of where youare <strong>in</strong> space agrees withwhere your body really is.Try this:Stand up, tall and straight.Lift your left leg so your thighis level with <strong>the</strong> ground.Count to 20.Repeat on <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r side.You should be able to balanceon each leg for 20 seconds.If you can't, you probablyneed to work on improv<strong>in</strong>gbalance.LifeHabit Tip:Try to balance on one legat least three times a day. Ifyou are wobbly, hold on asyou lift your leg, but focus onstand<strong>in</strong>g up with strong, tallposture, keep<strong>in</strong>g your feetpo<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g straight ahead andpelvis level.Streng<strong>the</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g posture canrelieve postural neck andback pa<strong>in</strong> as well as help youget <strong>the</strong> most benefit from anyexercise because your formgets naturally better. If youfocus on posture each day andwork to streng<strong>the</strong>n balance,alignment, and motion, overtime you’ll be surprised notonly at <strong>the</strong> difference <strong>in</strong> howyou feel, but even how o<strong>the</strong>rssee you. The bottom l<strong>in</strong>eis, when you keep mov<strong>in</strong>g
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