At any age past fifty, our early twilight years begin. Unwelcome thoughts may intrude upon us. Where have I been in my life? What happens now? What vision, if any, exists about my future? The picture we have of our lives is filtered through the lens of our experiences, sometimes clearly focused and sometimes blurred and indistinct. With age our picture becomes tinged, bathed in some unique emotional coloration -- anger, joy, bitterness, sadness, regret, happiness, contentment. Just before he died, Jimmy Stewart said, "I had a wonderful life."

Frequently, when very old people are interviewed about the important aspects of their lives, an interesting phenomenon surfaces. As we hear or read their stories we may chuckle about the variety of habits to which these oldsters attribute their longevity and even happiness. They have remarkably similar explanations about the causes and the effects of experiences that contributed to their well-being. Many stories include humor. My parents would refer to old jokes and punch lines that broke up their tension or a crisis. "The moral is, if you're warm and happy in a pile of...." and now, my parents in my presence would laugh uncontrollably.