Re: Old Age, I decided, is a gift

[Guest guest]

thank you Sandy,That was beautiful!!!And I needed to hear that today.April 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, not my body!

Sometimes I despair over my body, the wrinkles, the

baggy eyes, and the sagging butt. And often I am taken

aback by that old person that lives in my mirror

(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 more kind to myself, and less

critical of myself. I've become my own friend.I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for

not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko

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 until 4 AM and sleep until noon?I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of

the 60 & 70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep

over a lost love .. I will.I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a

bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if

I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set.They, too, will get old.I know I am sometimes forgetful, but then

again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And

I eventually 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 somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car?

But broken hearts are what give us

strength and understanding and compassion.

A heart never broken is pristine and 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

be forever etched into 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 positive.

You care less about what other people think.

I don't question myself anymore. I've even

earned the right to be wrong.So, to answer your question, I like being old.

It has set me free. 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.

May Our Friendship Never Come Apart Especially

When It's Straight From The Heart!May You Always Have a Rainbow of Smiles on

Your Face and in Your Heart Forever and Ever

My Saline and Silicone Friends Forever!

Hugs and Prayers,