Noriko, 43 yrs

“Being old to me is a number that gets bigger. For me, aging is defined by social achievement. There are points in life where you are expected to have done certain things. By the time I was in my 40s, I felt like I needed to hold a successful job and have a family and kids. As I get older, I worry about mobility and memory issues. However, one of my patients told me that although your body ages, your mind strengthens. Aging is not scary if you are gaining more experiences and wisdom. Aging is inevitable; the way you look at it depends on the individual.

I think about who I would be 10-15 years from now and how I want the end of my life to be. My goal is to be healthy physically and mentally in my 70s. So for the first time in 43 years, I started going to the gym. I think Canadian society has an overall more positive outlook on aging compared to Japan because in Japan, there are still age limits for careers and you have to put your date of birth on your resume.

I have plants everywhere in my home. They add a pop of colour and life to the space. It’s always important to do things that you love and worry less about things beyond your control. Like everything else in life, worry about age in moderation.”