A Cow Helps Me Grow Younger
Sometimes it’s the little things that make life so wonderful. And sometimes they might be as big as a cow! That happens to be true for me. There is a cow in my life and she brings me and others much joy and delight.
What does a cow have to do with growing younger? Well, one of my anti-aging action steps is to do something silly or fun or spontaneous. Something that makes me feel good—better yet, something that makes me laugh. And my cow makes me laugh!
Laughing rejuvenates our cells. In fact, a regular 20-minute laughter session can profoundly influence our health and wellbeing. When we laugh, our bodies release hormones and chemicals that have startling positive effects on our minds and bodies. There’s a website called Laughter Yoga with videos about laughing for good health. You might want to try out their laughter exercises.
And how did I get a cow that makes me laugh? One day 20 years ago I thought to myself: I need a cow in my sagebrush—for the absurdity of it. Not a real one, but one that’s life-size and looks real.
So I went looking for a life-size, fiberglass cow for my land in New Mexico. And I found her—in New Jersey. How does she make me laugh? Well, when I walk down my driveway, I moo at her. Yes, I moo! Silly, right? It makes me laugh so I guess that’s pretty silly. (I figure when she moos back, then maybe I’ll start to worry.)
It takes only a minute or so to do something silly or fun each day, but if you’re not in the mood, then do something spontaneous. You could say to someone “C’mon over and let’s lie naked in front of the fireplace.” That’ll get their attention even if you intend to keep your clothes on. Or give someone a hug when they least expect it.
Flexibility is one of the secrets of growing younger. Being spontaneous helps you stay flexible—instead of being rigid, which is often associated with old age.
Do something different. Paint your toenails green! Eat pizza for breakfast. Do you know someone who’s set in their ways—not just getting older but growing old and rigid? Eating oatmeal, oatmeal, oatmeal every morning? And you’re afraid to ask them how they are because you might get an organ recital?
You know, that shop in New Jersey also had a life-size pig. I wonder…
Ellen Wood of Questa is an artist using the name Maruska as well as the award-winning author of the series of books, “The Secret Method for Growing Younger,” available on Amazon. Contact her at ellen@howtogrowyounger.com. Her website is www.howtogrowyounger.com.
