Growing Old With Grace

Working out at the gym this week, I noticed an older gentlemen walking by me. He was thin and a bit frail. He had a head full of white hair and a beard to match. As I watched him, the question came to mind....will this be me in a few years?

Growing old is a fact of life but it still has a way of sneaking up on us. It's become more obvious the last couple of years as I've reconnected with friends from High School and College on Facebook. When I see their name, I get a mental picture of what they looked like back then. Then looking at their photos, the reality sets in that the years have caught up with us somewhat.

I am one that probably won't grow old gracefully. In my head, I still feel young and alive.....most of the time. But my body tells me a whole different story. They say we are only as old as we feel. I guess it depends on how old we feel, by what day it is.

Watching my parents, as their age began to catch up with them, they felt they could still do anything in their minds, but their bodies weren't on the same page. I remember having a conversation with my Mom. As she struggled physically and mentally, she asked me what happened. How did they end up like this. All I could think of to say was, Mama.......your body has just gotten old. Probably not the most encouraging words, but the only answer I had.

When I look in the mirror, I see my age creeping up. The receding hairline, the ears and nose getting bigger, the grey, the wrinkles.....and the list goes on. I catch myself bumping into things more and more, banging my arms, or my head, or my toes. Having to carry reading glasses everywhere, then forgetting where I put them. Looking for something all over the house, then seeing it's been right in front of me all along. Forgetting why I went into a room as my mind is not as sharp as it used to be.

So off to the gym I go to help the body. I read every night to help the mind. I go through the day with a youthful attitude. I try to live for today and make plans for the future. I try not to use the words, I'm getting old. I try to live life to the fullest.

Do I always succeed.....no. Do I keep on keeping on.....yes. Am I growing old gracefully.....probably not.
But I've learned that growing old is a gift. The last 18 years have been a gift. Everyday I wake up is a gift. Even though some days my body screams at me, I won't give up. Even though my mind wants to draw me to a dark place, I keep seeking the light.

Will I be that older gentlemen in the gym someday, I hope so.


and the Journey Continues......