Growing old is no picnic. You slow down, forget things, suffer aches and pains. Your vision, hearing, even your sense of smell and taste are diminished. Your skin wrinkles up like a prune, and parts of your anatomy sag in a most unattractive way. Growing old can really suck . . .till you consider the alternative.

Old age actually has an upside. The empty nest, after your grown children move out, can be a lonely place, but the freedom from the responsibilities of a family is also very liberating. And grandkids can be a lot of fun without the hassles of parenthood.

For aging women, menopause means no more PMS, cramps, or worries about birth control. It doesn’t necessarily mean the loss of your sexuality. Many older women find romance can be better than when they had the pressures of finding a mate and beating their biological clock, plus they know what they want in a relationship. And not all older men make fools of themselves chasing after girls young enough to be their granddaughters. Men in their 50s, 60s, and even later are still capable of having children (though that may be a mixed blessing), and they have the advantage over younger men of their greater experience.

Forgetfulness can certainly be a problem, but not remembering where you put your keys or what you walked into a room to do is not the end of the world. You’ll take a little longer to find those keys, and whatever you were going to do in that room will come to you eventually if it was important.

As we age, we start to slow down – in our movements and sometimes in our thinking. This can be a concern, especially for people used to being very active. We can’t party all night, participate in strenuous sports, or maintain the hectic lifestyle we once enjoyed without tiring out or feeling the pain the morning after. But it can also be a great relief to step off that relentless treadmill of work, family responsibilities, housekeeping, and a hyperactive social life. It feels good to take the time to stop and smell the roses from time to time. And old age can be a great time for quiet reflection.

Chronic illness and the aches and pains of an aging body are aspects of growing old that we all dread. But it’s never too late to begin improving your health and fitness. If you’re retired, with more time on your hands, it’s the perfect time to take up daily walks, hiking, and gardening – all great ways to keep young at heart. We can’t stop the ravages of age, but we can do a lot to slow them down.

More free time also can allow you to reconnect with old friends you’ve been too busy to stay in touch with. A friend of mine recently attended her 50th high school reunion and renewed an acquaintance with someone she’d not seen since their graduation. The Internet is also a great tool for digging up former friends.

Some say wisdom comes with age, though I suspect most of us are no wiser at 70 than we were at 17. Just a bit less foolish. But even for those of us who go straight from our reckless youth into semi-senility, aging does bring a broader perspective on life. We may lose much of our youthful zest. but we also lose all that teenage angst and midlife anxiety. Nothing seems as catastrophic, final, and unbearable when you’ve lived through it all before.

Our golden years can be a time for traveling, enriching our social and spiritual lives, making new friends, learning new things, finding creative outlets . . .  or just relaxing and reminiscing about the highlights of our many years we’ve survived.

Yep, growing old sure beats the alternative.