A 78-Year-Old Grandma’s Life Advice Is Better Than Anything on Your FYP Right Now

Kenzie Elizabeth‘s grandmother Myga is 78 years old and living a life that would put most of our Google Calendars to shame. She just hard launched her new boyfriend Ken on the podcast, is starting a needlepoint finishing business, plays mahjong so often she had to cut back because her schedule was too packed, and exercises three times a week. She’s also been through some of the hardest things a person can go through, like losing her brother in high school, her mom at a young age, her husband Paul, and her grandson Cody. She broke her femur, developed heart disease, and spent six months barely leaving her apartment.

And then she got back up.

On Houseguest, she sits down with Kenzie to share the kind of life advice that only someone who’s actually lived through all of it can give. Whether you’re navigating your 20s, experiencing something hard, or just need a reminder that the best parts of your life might not have happened yet, her wisdom is the warm hug you didn’t know you needed today.

It is never too late to have the chairs reupholstered

Myga is reading a book about life after 80 and this line stuck with her because she catches herself thinking “who cares?” about things that used to matter. The answer from the book and from Myga is that it’s always worth caring. Whether that’s reupholstering the chairs, starting a new hobby, or falling in love again at 78. “It’s never too old to have a boyfriend,” she says. 

Life gets better every decade if you let it

“It gets better and better. It really does,” Myga says. More knowledge, more confidence, more freedom to just be who you are without apologizing for it. She talks about watching her own daughter and herself grow into stronger, more confident women over the decades. “In the 80s came all the self-help books, and I think that was a huge help,” she says. Growth isn’t something that stops at 30 or 40 or even 70. Myga is living proof that every decade brings something new if you stay open to it.

Being bored is actually good for you

Myga grew up with family dinner at 6 every night, no organized sports, and kids playing outside until it got dark. Kenzie brings up how overscheduled everyone is now and Myga agrees it’s a problem. “You in life should be bored sometimes because that’s when you’re creative,” Kenzie says. Myga’s entire childhood was built around slowness, reading, and making things with her hands. Not everything needs to be optimized. Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is absolutely nothing.

Watching her mom fight to be on the checking account changed everything

Myga’s mom paid every single bill in the household but wasn’t allowed to sign the checks. Her dad would come home, sign them, and her mom would mail them. When Myga and her sister got married and had their own checking accounts, their mom had enough. “She told my dad, ‘I want to be on the checking account.’ He said, ‘Absolutely not.’ She said, ‘Well, I’m not going to pay any more bills,'” Myga recalls. A month went by. Bills didn’t get paid. “Finally, my dad came home and goes, ‘You’re on the account.'” Myga says watching her mom become an independent woman was one of the most meaningful things she’s ever witnessed. 

The best thing you can do for someone who’s grieving is shut up and listen

“Let people that are in grief talk and don’t say anything,” Myga says. “Don’t go telling your story. Just let them talk. They just need somebody to talk to.” She also says that when she lost her husband Paul, most of her friends would change the subject when she brought him up. They weren’t being mean. They just didn’t know what to say. Her suggestion for anyone in that situation: “If you don’t know what to say, say, ‘Tell me a story about them. What were they like?'” That one question keeps the person alive through memory and gives the grieving person exactly what they need.

Grandma hobbies are the real wellness trend

Needlepoint, mahjong, crossword puzzles, card games, reading, sewing. Myga does all of it and she’s busier than most 28-year-olds. “Just keep your mind busy,” she says. She plays mahjong three days a week, does yoga on Mondays, cardio on Wednesdays, and strength and balance on Fridays. “Grandma hobbies work because grandmas know what they’re talking about,” Kenzie points out. “They’ve lived more time on this earth, so obviously they know.” Pick up a hobby that has nothing to do with a screen. Worst case scenario, you end up being really good at mahjong and having the most interesting personality at the dinner table.

Put your phone down and just be yourself

Myga’s final piece of wisdom is the one she keeps coming back to. “Just be yourself and get off social media,” she says. She remembers making Kenzie put her phone away at family dinners when she was younger. She talks about how the stress young women are under today is unlike anything she experienced and she thinks most of it comes from the phone. “I didn’t have that stress in my life. My phone was tethered to the wall, so there was no losing it,” she says.

You don’t have to throw your phone in the ocean, but maybe putting it in the other room for dinner and actually being present with the people you love is the most grandma-coded wellness advice there is.

Listen to the full episode on Houseguest with Kenzie Elizabeth, available wherever you listen to podcasts.

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