FOREVER YOUNG

This picture was posted today by a Facebook friend.  On the surface, it's funny.  Typical Lucy.  But it made me think about how true this is for so many of us.  After taking all of the precautions (moisturizing, drinking lots of water) and good advice for staying healthy (eating well---and slowly...exercising, getting plenty of rest) we still feel the need to lie about our age.  I don't know what we're so ashamed of.  Age means you've been successful in handling life for X number of years.  That's a good thing.

Years ago, when I was in my 20's a lady I worked with was celebrating her birthday.  I asked her how old she was, and when she told me she was 38 I laughed and said "Girl, you are OLD"!  She didn't seem to think it was funny, but she didn't miss a beat when she reminded me that she might be 38, but there was no guarantee that I would get there.  That moment changed my thoughts about age forever.  She was right!  She at least had lived those 38 years. I might not see 38, or 37 or 28 for that matter.  I stopped laughing and let the truth of her words sink in.  As I did get older and was blessed to see 38 and beyond, I never tried to convince anyone that I was a day less than I really was.  If all we really want to live is 29 years, lots of us could have stopped sucking up extra air a long time ago, leaving more oxygen for those who want to stick around. There's only one way to stay young forever and it involves ceasing to exist, so no, I'll pass on that for as long as I can. I think it's pretty ungrateful to deny all the years that we've been blessed to be here, so I for one NEVER lie about my age.  I don't wear it on a t-shirt or anything, but if you ask me I will tell you the truth.  I'm thankful and proud to be 52.  I've really enjoyed these twenty-three "post-29" years.  

I took this picture in my kitchen two years ago.  I was 50 at the time:

It took me 50 years to look like this! Am I flawless?  Umm..no...but as I recall, I never have been. At 29, I couldn't possibly know what I'd be missing, but I know that I thought it would be awful and it isn't. Which is another good thing about getting older.  You have a chance to look back and laugh at how dumb you were then.