Do you ever think aloud, “Oh no, I’m growing old!” Another birthday is approaching. I began struggling with birthdays ending in zeros starting with my 30th. At 30 I was pregnant with my second and made a silly request of my OB-GYN to change my age to 29 on my records. My 40th birthday present to myself was a mid-life crisis convertible, and for my 50th my only request was, “Please no party.”
There seems to be some aversion to growing old - that slight dash of panic as our next dreaded birthday approaches. Mention the word aging and we become fearful of all that comes with it - anywhere from wrinkles to sickness. Understandably, we want to exercise and eat right to keep our bodies in good shape so that we have good health for as long as possible. We strive to stay active physically and mentally to ward off Alzheimer’s and dementia. It makes good sense to want to keep our minds and bodies young so that life is enjoyable as we grow older. But to be offended when we get the senior discount without asking for it or to refuse to celebrate any more birthdays - shouldn’t we instead be celebrating each day given to us with an Attitude of Gratitude?
No matter how much we loathe aging, know that being given the opportunity to age is a gift. Another year has passed and we are still here. Every wrinkle I see in the mirror represents a time that I worried about my children because I love them. I am so grateful for them and their families. This is not the year I am one year closer to 60, it’s the year I get to see Carson and Dominic learn how to walk and talk.
Age is just a number. It’s the number of years we have spent on Earth. There may be some nuances of social behavior that come with it, but besides that, it doesn’t mean much. James A. Garfield said, “If wrinkles must be written upon our brows, let them not be written upon the heart. The spirit should not grow old.” Bring on another candle I say.
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