There’s no point in being unhappy about growing older.
Just think of the millions who have been denied the privilege.
Cary Grant
***
As of this weekend, I have entered the 4th quarter: The 4th quarter of a century. The game is winding down. It’s a bit of a shock. I don’t feel “old,” however that’s supposed to feel.
I look back, though, on a lifetime filled with the grace of God. Even in the hard times I see His hand. As it says in the poem, Footprints in the Sand,
“During your times of trial and
suffering, when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I Carried You.”
That would just be a lovely thought, though, if the Bible didn’t say the same thing.
And when you are old, I will still be there, carrying you.
When your limbs grow tired, your eyes are weak,
And your hair a silvery gray, I will carry you as I always have.
I will carry you and save you.
Isaiah 46:4 The Voice
***
There is much to like about getting older.
* You can choose to dress for comfort or for fashion.
* You’re good at using what you’ve learned. This “crystalized intelligence” keeps getting better as you age.
* You become far less judge-y, more loving, respectful and in awe of all you’ve endured and triumphed over.
* All your years of living make you sound smart.
* You’ve learned that most of the time, ‘good enough’ is good enough.
* You finally know that it’s not about what you look like or what you own. it’s about the person you’ve become and are still becoming.
* And how about all those lovely senior discounts?
***
For age is opportunity no less
Than youth itself, though in another dress,
And as the evening twilight fades away
The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
***
You are never too old to begin again,
to learn something each day and to create yourself a happy ending.
Unknown
***
And finally, and most importantly,
