As they say, “Growing old is great – when you consider the alternative” – and we agree.

As the World Health Organization pointed out in their 2018 research, the world’s population is becoming older by the year. This means more people are going to be at the receiving end of “old people” or “aging” jokes.

This kind of humor was rooted in the universal truths surrounding age and the struggles that come along with it.

Joint pains, slower reflexes, poor eyesight, and hazy memory – you most probably heard one or a combination of those in one comedy show or two.

Just like this gag surrounding three aging sisters who were experiencing the challenges of age-related forgetfulness:

One said,

“Sometimes I catch myself with a jar of mayonnaise in my hand while standing in front of the refrigerator, and I can’t remember whether I need to put it away, or start making a sandwich.”

The second lady chimed in with,

“Yes, sometimes I find myself on the landing of the stairs and can’t remember whether I was on my way up or on my way down.”

The third one responded,

“Well, ladies, I’m glad I don’t have that problem. Knock on wood,” as she rapped her knuckles on the table, and then said, “That must be the door, I’ll get it!”

Age jokes will never get old. See what we did there?

But what’s the real score on age-related memory loss? Is it something that should alarm us?

Experts say that it’s perfectly normal.

While most of us think that this can be one of the first symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, it’s not always the case.

Our bodies go through different changes as we age. Your skin can be a bit wrinkly here and there, your joints might be a bit creaky when the wind blows a degree below 62 degrees Fahrenheit, or you might need 15 minutes more to get to the next block. These things are natural as we age.

Our brain undergoes these kinds of changes too.

Forgetting names of people, dates, or misplacing items are all signs of age-related memory loss.

But how do we know that it’s the bad kind? Forgetfulness that is much more frequent and disruptive could be some of the signs. Mistaking people, for instance, and frequently misidentifying them for someone else might be a symptom.

Sometimes, old people can forget what word to use in a specific context. But having trouble keeping a conversation might require you to visit the doctor.

While it’s quite scary to be this forgetful, growing old isn’t that bad.

As English singer and songwriter Davie Bowie said,

“Aging is an extraordinary process whereby you become the person you always should have been.”

Being forgetful might be a bit challenging, especially when you have a ton more birthdays to remember.

But there are other advantages to being older.

You get fewer colds, fewer allergies, lesser sweat, and lesser migraines.

You get to tell more stories about what you’ve been through, the people you’ve met along the way, and the places you stopped by in various phases of your life.

So if you’re afraid of getting that age-related memory loss just like the sisters in this gag, don’t be. It’s a natural process that we’ll all undergo sooner or later.

You might forget a thing or two, but you’re still you. Coming from American author and writer of “A Wrinkle in Time” Madeleine L’Engle:

“The great thing about getting older is that you don’t lose all the other ages you’ve been.”

Ever had a grandparent this forgetful?

Keep yourself available because you’ll never know when you have to get the door for them.

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Source: Reddit, National Institute on Aging, Mayo Clinic, BBC, World Health Organization, Flickr, Pexels