Posted on by LydiaA1614

Reflections On Age

happy-birthday-butterfly-cardMy grandmother used to twist the old cliche around to her version “You are only as young as you feel” (as opposed to old).

Today I turn 58 and, while I was dreading it for the last several months, I actually am very comfortable with my age. My problem was that 58 is too close to 60!

For some reason, I had this misconceived notion that 60 was “old”. I don’t know where I got that from. My grandmother was in her prime in her 60’s and if cancer and a heart condition hadn’t taken her at 72, I am sure she would have been rockin’ it into her 90’s (and I don’t mean in a rocking chair!).

When I was in my twenties I had a great job, dressed the way I wanted to, had a condo, and a bunch of friends. As I headed into 30’s and 40’s, mental and then physical illness plagued my life.

Now that I have really found myself as a person again outside of my health problems, I don’t want to seem “old” because there is so much life to catch up on. But I am doing that! I always wanted to be a writer – duh, what am I doing right this minute! LOL. I have found my style back that I had before depression, bipolar and pain made sweats and loose fitting dresses myĀ “uniform” of choice.

I ran into my ex a year ago and we talked for all of two minutes. I made a comment to my hubby that the guy looked “old”. Hubby said, “well he is!” It had been almost 15 years since I last saw him soĀ ya, he WAS old, so am I!

My Life Coach is the same age as me and when I mentioned awhile back that I did not want to be 58, she was all over me, saying that we are in our prime, we are strong, vibrant, beautiful women and that is when I think I started to realize that age is just a number.

A very dear sweet friend of mine, who I have never met in person but who is like a sister to me (and is a sister in Christ), set up a Facebook event for my birthday a couple of weeks ago. She asked people to wish me happy birthday and post something, anything, purple! It is amazing how many people have posted there and some have left several purple images. They are amazing presents because they are from the heart. Barbarian, if your intent was to cheer me up and get my mind off my health problems, you have totally succeeded.

Another age thing on my mind is my 40th reunion coming up next Saturday. I was worrying what people would think of how I have aged. Silly, me, we are all in the same boat!

So, I toast to my 59th year and my 60th after that!

Lydia!

 

 

19 Replies to “Reflections On Age”

  4. Happy birthday with many more to follow. Well I’m 73 and to be honest 20 years old people seem old me in comparison, no joking. You are only as old as your mind is. Many young people nowadays are actually old because they have grown too fast. Besides age is just a number. Of course other factors are involved in keeping oneself perennially young as me šŸ™‚ which are a bit of exercise but not too much, eating simply and well, sleeping well and a few good friends.

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    1. Thank you! You are an inspiration. My Dad had an Uncle that lived to two months shy of his 100th birthday. Uncle John was put in a care home when he was about 93 and for the next seven years he complained that it was filled with a bunch of “old people”. He was the oldest by a long shot! You are right, it is just a number. And I lost a lot of living time during my life up until now so I am not going to let a number get the best of me! šŸ™‚

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  6. I love your take on aging! That will be my take on it as I turn 59 next month. About your reunion, isn’t it funny how we see how we have aged, but in the back of our minds we think our classmates still look like they did back then?!

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