I’m in the mood to just smile today, so I’m posting this letter which has been around the internet more than a few times. I have no idea who wrote it – in case you haven’t seen it, please enjoy….
The other day a young person asked me how I felt about being old. I was taken aback, for I don’t see myself as being old. Upon seeing my reaction, she was immediately embarrassed, but I explained that it was an interesting question, and I would ponder it and let her know.
Old age, I decided is a gift. I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have always wanted to be. Oh, but not my body! I sometimes despair over the wrinkles, the baggy eyes, and the sagging butt. I’m often surprised by the old person who lives in my mirror (and who looks like my mother), but I don’t agonize over those things for long.
I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I’ve aged, I’ve become kinder to myself and less critical of myself. I’ve become my own friend. I don’t chide myself for eating the extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement frog that I didn’t need, but looks so avant garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant. I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.
Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer till 4:00am and sleep till noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s; and if I wish to weep over a lost love….I will. I will walk the beach in a swimsuit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I so choose, despite the pitying glances from the jet set. They, too, will someday get old. I know I am sometimes forgetful, but there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And eventually, I remember the important things.
Sure, over the years, my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when a beloved pet dies? But, broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.
I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs forever etched into the deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed; and, so many have died before their hair could turn silver. As you get older, it is easier to be more positive. You care less about what other people think. I don’t even question myself anymore….I’ve earned the right to be wrong.
So, to answer your question, I like being old. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be.
And, I shall eat dessert every single day. (If I feel like it.)
And be sure to eat dessert first, because life is uncertain…..
Great sentiments, Rich!