Loretta Laroche - Juicy Living, Juicy Aging

OTHER HAY HOUSE TITLES BY LORETTA LAROCHE

The Best of Loretta LaRoche (4-CD set)

How to Be a Wild, Wise, and Witty Woman:
Making the Most Out of Life Before You Run Out of It (4-CD set)

Life Is ShortWear Your Party Pants:
Ten Simple Truths That Lead to an Amazing Life (available as a book, 2-CD set, and a DVD)

Lighten Up! The Authentic and Fun Way to Lose Your Weight and Your Worries (book)

RelaxYou May Only Have a Few Minutes Left:
Using the Power of Humor to Overcome Stress in Your Life and Work (book)

Squeeze the Day: 365 Ways to Bring JOY and JUICE into Your Life (book)

The Wise and Witty Stress Solution Kit

All of the above are available at your local bookstore, or may be ordered by visiting:

Hay House USA: www.hayhouse.com
Hay House Australia: www.hayhouse.com.au
Hay House UK: www.hayhouse.co.uk
Hay House South Africa: www.hayhouse.co.za
Hay House India: www.hayhouse.co.in

Copyright 2007 by Loretta LaRoche

Published and distributed in the United States by: Hay House, Inc.: www.hayhouse.com Published and distributed in Australia by: Hay House Australia Pty. Ltd.: www.hayhouse.com.au Published and distributed in the United Kingdom by: Hay House UK, Ltd.: www.hayhouse.co.uk Published and distributed in the Republic of South Africa by: Hay House SA (Pty), Ltd.: www.hayhouse.co.za Distributed in Canada by: Raincoast: www.raincoast.com Published in India by: Hay House Publishers India: www.hayhouse.co.in

Editorial supervision: Jill Kramer Design: Tricia Breidenthal

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic, or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording; nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or otherwise be copied for public or private useother than for fair use as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviewswithout prior written permission of the publisher.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

The first edition of this book was published under the title Kick Up Your Heels Before Youre Too Short to Wear Them.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2001012345

ISBN: 978-1-4019-2568-0

12 11 10 09 5 4 3 2
1st edition, September 2007
2nd edition, August 2009

Printed in the United States of America

To my daughter,
Laurie, for
her incredible
courage, grace,
and dignity.

CONTENTS

M y great-grandmother Conchetta Sabina is one of the role models for this book. She was a combination of Bette Midler, Rita Moreno, and Emeril: funny, lusty, and fiery! She lived with great passion and was filled with juice and joy. She loved to laugh, dance, and cook; she was spontaneous, compassionate, somewhat eccentric, incredibly irreverent, and open to having a good time. She also had a fantastic sense of humor.

My great-grandmother wore long, flowing dresses but never wore underwear. She probably figured out that if youre in an accident, your underwear isnt going to stay clean for long. When her first husband died, she remarried a man named Peppino, who was 21 years her junior. She always called him caro, or dear one. Peppino was a cobbler and a musician, and he gave Conchetta his handmade shoes and wrote love songs about her, which he lovingly played on his mandolin.

She died on her way to playing cards at the age of 95. She was juicy and knew how to kick up her heels. I was born shortly after her death and have often wondered if our souls crossed paths and my great-grandmothers energy latched on to me for another ride. My mother frequently remarked how similar we are. Conchettas nickname was zingara, a Sicilian slang word for gypsy. As a child, my mother always called me by that name and it felt very familiar.

My grandmother Francesca is role model number two. She was patient, caring, loving, and spiritual; she was also a great cook and an incredible martyr. It sometimes seemed as if suffering were her goal. Ive often told my audiences that she wore black just in case somebody died.

My mother, Laura, is my third inspirationfeisty, tenacious, bright, and funny. She has always loved to stir the pot. If there was anything brewing in the family, she could make one hell of a stew out of it.

These three Italian divas were my magnificent gene pool, and Im grateful to them for it every single day.

When its over, I want to say: all my life I was a bride married to amazement. I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.
from When Death Comes, by Mary Oliver

W hen I reached my 60th birthday, I panicked at the thought that I had less time ahead of me than I had behind me. Of course, that could be debated by those who are seeing from the rear. On a brighter note, this realization enhanced my need to discover as much as I could about the aging processboth the negative and positive. Im fortunate to have had grandparents who lived long lives, and a mother whos now 96. If genetics are on my side, then Im in luck.

Like most people, I never really understood or believed that Id actually reach the same place my mother was many years ago. Not that I would want the alternative, which is not to be here at all. But when shed try to tell me how she felt about getting older, I dismissed her by saying, Oh, you have plenty of time. Shed counter with, Youll see. Well, she was right. I am seeing, and its quite a ride! Bette Davis was right on the money when she said that old age is not for sissies. Ive become a great admirer of my mothers resiliency and all of the other individuals whove become prototypes for my own journey. Ill mention more of these inspirational people throughout the book.

As my mothers body began to betray her by becoming frail, her humor would continue to sustain her. Shed remind me that she had the furniture disease. When I asked what that was, she quipped, Thats when your chest falls into your drawers. Well, much of what she said is true: Our minds and bodies change, and if were around long enough, our lives become a roller-coaster ride. If were lucky, the highs are greater than the lows. But like any ride, we know that someday it will end.

The good news about aging in the 21st century is that many gains have been made in the area of longevity and quality of life. We have a greater understanding of what ages the body and how we influence that process. Not long ago, it was thought that genetics was the primary factor in determining how long we lived and the quality of life we could expect; however, we now know that genes alone arent something to bank on, especially if weve managed to make more withdrawals than deposits into our life-expectancy account. How we live our lives mentally, physically, and spiritually means much more than we ever imagined.