6A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL JANUARY 11, 2017
Chatterbox
BY BETTY KAISER
For the Sentinel
Birthdays, life and love
A perspective on growing older
I remember when I was young and always looking forward to
my January 13th birthdays. Celebrating a birthday meant bringing
cupcakes and Kool-Aid to my fi rst grade class. It meant a birth-
day party at home with presents, games and (of course) my favorite
birthday cake. It meant turning 16 years old and being allowed to
date boys. It meant getting married at 19 and at 21, being legally
allowed to vote and drink a cocktail in a fancy restaurant.
Until recently, the only birthday that I really didn’t like was the
year I turned 30 years old. For some reason, leaving my 20’s was
scary. It meant that I was no longer young (little did I know how
young that was). Of course, I survived turning 30 and I didn’t fear
aging in my 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. Turning 70 didn’t even bother me.
Each of life’s milestones was good. There was always a reason
to be going forward—raising children from infancy to adulthood,
welcoming their spouses and each new grandchild, establishing a
business, volunteering, serving in the church, traveling the world,
moving to a dream house and job in Oregon. I felt blessed.
It was a fall on the ice in January of 2012 and a fractured back
that brought me up short and said, “You’re getting old.” Not “older”
but “old. Surgery helped repair the crushed bones but the residual
effect of that hard fall was chronic pain. I had lots of time on my
hands that winter to think about the ramifi cations of aging and it
was sobering.
I quickly came to the conclusion that it’s not looking older that
bothers me. All this gray hair and wrinkles has its advantages. I
never have to worry about opening a heavy door to enter a business
or restaurant. People will stop; open the door and say, “After you.”
I fi nd that young children in strollers will smile and wave at me as I
walk by. At the same time, they look at their parent, smile and say,
“Grandma.”
No, the thing that bothers me the most about aging is the physical
limitations. Myself, friends and family are having hips and knees
replaced, heart surgeries, cancer treatments, losing spouses or
downsizing houses because they can’t take care of them. Some are
no longer driving because of eyesight and refl ex problems. Some of
us just need help getting out of bed in the morning! Oy!
My Achilles Heel is poor balance. If I fall down, I break some-
thing. No matter how much physical therapy I endure, falls and
breakage keep happening. It started with a compound fracture of
my left arm as a teenager. Longtime readers will remember my fall-
ing off an 8 ft. tall ladder and nearly cracking my skull open. Twice
I slipped and broke bones in my right foot. The 70’s have included
a fall that completely tore my ACL with complications from a frac-
tured back.
Last year was a hard year for many of us. It is diffi cult to laugh
and enjoy life during pain and suffering. Suddenly I felt old. My
husband had serious health issues, I lost several dear friends and
the world’s suffering was hard to comprehend. The appointments
on our calendar were mostly to doctors or hospitals. Something had
to change. Fun needed to make a comeback.
Then I read this piece of wisdom:
“You don’t stop laughing because you grow old, you grow old
because you stop laughing.”—Michael Pritchard
Ah, ha! I don’t know who Michael Pritchard is but he’s a wise
man. I looked up laughter as medicine and was reminded that while
laughter can’t save us from getting old, it can make aging palatable.
Although not all researchers agree, most believe that humor helps
people of all ages cope with stress and keeps our immune system
healthy.
This quote from a cancer researcher really hit home:
“Humor works like a shock absorber in a car,” he says. “You ap-
preciate a good shock absorber when you go over bumps and cancer
is a big bump in life.”
So my goal for this birthday year is to install new shock absorb-
ers. It is said that children laugh 300 times a day. We adults laugh
only a few times a day— maybe 4. I think it’s time to up the ante at
our house and start looking for the funny side of everyday life. We
need to exchange more jokes and less bad news. Following are a
few comic one-liners from readers that started me giggling.
You know you’re older when:
*You’re startled the fi rst time you’re asked if you’re a “senior.”
*Your children begin to look middle aged.
*Your back goes out more often than you do.
*You sit in a rocking chair and you can’t get it going.
* Your mind makes contracts your body can’t meet.
*You fi nally reach the top of the ladder and it’s the wrong wall.
*The little grey haired lady you help across the street is your wife.
*You have a party and the neighbors don’t even know it.
*My favorite: People call at 9 a.m. and ask, “Did I wake you?”
So, dear readers, here’s the deal. We can’t stop the aging process
but we can put it into perspective. Then we can offset and absorb
some of life’s shocks and discomfort by laughing at a good joke
long and often. It works for me. Try it and let me know how it works
for you. And by all means, share the fun with friends, family and
me.
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P.S. Happy Birthday to my fellow Capricorns!
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KathrynsCare@gmail.com
Betty Kaiser’s Chatterbox is about people, places, family, and
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Douglas G. Maddess, DMD
2015
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DRAIN:
Gateway Family Fellowship
Church of the Nazarene
337 “C” St. Drain, OR
Sunday School 9:30am
Worship 10:45am
Living Hope Free Lunch
Wed. at 12:30pm
541-836-7051 www.drainnaz.org
HOPE U.M.C.
131 W “A” St. Drain, OR
541-315-1617
Pastor: Lura Kidner-Miesen
Bible Study: 10:45am
Potluck Lunch: 11:45
Worship: 12:30pm
COTTAGE GROVE:
6th & Gibbs Church of Christ
195 N. 6th St. • 541-942-3822
Pastor: Aaron Earlywine
Youth & Families Pastor: Seth Bailey
Services: 9am and 10:30am
Christian Education
Nursery for pre-k - 3rd Grade
www.6thandgibbs.com
Calvary Baptist Church
77873 S 6th St • 541-942-4290
Pastor: Riley Hendricks
Sunday School: 9:45am
Worship: 11:00am
The Journey: Sunday 5:00pm
Praying Thru Life: Wednesday 6:00pm
Calvary Chapel Cottage Grove
1447 Hwy 99 (Village Plaza)
541-942-6842
Pastor: Jeff Smith
Two Services on Sun: 9am & 10:45am
Youth Group Bible Study
Child Care 10:45am Service Only
www.cgcalvary.org
Center for Spiritual Living
Cottage Grove
700 Gibbs Ave. (Community Center)
Rev. Bobby Lee
Meets Sunday 3:00 p.m.
cslcottagegrove@gmail.com
First Presbyterian Church
3rd and Adams St • 541-942-4479
Pastor: Karen Hill
Worship: 10:00am
Sunday School: 10:00am
www.cgpresbynews.com
Old Time Gospel Fellowship
103 S. 5th St. • 541-942-4999
Pastor: Jim Edwards
Sunday Service: 10:00am
Join us in Traditional
Christian Worship
Church of Christ
420 Monroe St • 541-942-8565
Sunday Service: 10:30am
Grove Community Church
77820 Mosby Creek Rd.
Cottage Grove, OR 97424
541-942-0123
Pastor: Bryan Parsons
Worship: 10:30 a.m.
Nursery: Infant - Pre-K
Kidʼs Church: K to 5th grade
Our Lady of Perpetual Help
and St. Philip Benizi
Catholic Churches
1025 N. 19th St.
541-942-3420 / 541-942-4712
Pastor: Roy L. Antunez, S.J.
Euch. Liturgies; Sat. 5:30pm
Sun. 10:30am
St. Philip Benizi, Creswell:
552 Holbrock Lane • 541-895-8686
Sunday: 8:30am
Cottage Grove Bible Church
1200 East Quincy Avenue
541-942-4771
Pastor:Bob Singer
Worship 11am
Sunday School:9:45am
AWANA age 3-8th Grade,
Wednesdays Sept-May, 6:30pm
www.cgbible.org
Cottage Grove Faith Center
33761 Row River Rd. • 541-942-4851
Lead Pastor: Isaac Hovet
www.cg4.tv
Summer Schedule: Sunday Service 10am
Full Childrenʼs Ministry available
Covered Bridge Nazarene Church
152 S. M St.
541-942-4422
Pastor: Cindy Slaymaker
Sunday School: 9:30am
Worship 10:30am
Delight Valley
Church of Christ
33087 Saginaw Rd. East
541-942-7711
Pastor: Bob Friend
Two Services:
9am - Classic in the Chapel
10:30am - Contemporary in the
Auditorium
Hope Fellowship
United Pentecostal Church
100 S. Gateway Blvd. • 541-942-2061
Pastor: Dave Bragg
Worship: 11:00am Sunday
Bible Study: 7:00pm Wednesday
www.hopefellowshipupc.com
“FINDING HOPE IN YOUR LIFE”
Living Faith Assembly
467 S. 10th St. • 541-942-2612
Pastor Rulon Combs
Worship & Childrenʼs
Church 10:00 am
Youth 180 Mondays 5:30-8pm
Non-Denominational
Church of Christ
1041 Pennoyer Ave * 541-767-0447
Preachers: Tony Martin & Robert Evans
Sunday Bible Study:10:00am
Sunday Worship:10:50am & 5:30pm
www.pennoyeravecoc.com
St. Andrews Episcopal Church
1301 W. Main • 541-767-9050
Rev. Lawrence Crumb
“Church with the fl ags.”
Worship: Sunday 10:30am
All Welcome
Seventh-day Adventist Church
820 South 10th Street
541-942-5213
Pastor: Kevin Miller
Bible Study: Saturday, 9:15 am
Worship Service: Saturday, 10:40 am
Mid-week Service: Wednesday, 1:00 pm
Trinity Lutheran Church
6th & Quincy • 541-942-2373
Pastor: James L. Markus
Sunday School & Adult Education 9:15am
Sundway Worship 10:30 am
Comm. Kitchen Free Meal Tue & Thur
5:00pm TLC Groups
tlccg.com
United Methodist Church
334 Washington • 541-942-3033
Pastor:Lura Kidner-Miesen
Worship: 10:30am
Comm. Dinner (Adults $5, Kids Free)
2nd & 3rd Monday 5-6:00pm
cottagegroveumc.org
“VICTORY” Country Church
913 S. 6th Street • 541-942-5913
Pastor: Barbara Dockery
Worship Service: 10:00am
Message:
11:00am
“WE BELIEVE IN MIRACLES”
Our Worship
Directory is a
weekly feature in
the newspaper. If
your congregation
would like to
be a part of this
directory, please
contact the
Cottage Grove
Sentinel
at 541-942-3325.