On Aging

I'd hate to sound like I'm always whining/complaining about something, but this has been on my mind for awhile.

I know that nobody really wants to get old, that it's a side effect of living. I suppose that if one's enjoying one's life, then it's not such a big deal to get old. That just means you've got yet more days to enjoy life for what it is. But I sit and think about aging and I get frightened. And if I'm not frightened, then I'm rather disgusted.

Sometimes I can see the appeal in "live fast, die young, and leave a beautiful corpse."



I love my parents mightily. They're wonderful people, full of wisdom and fun (for the most part). But I hate to hear them complain about their aches and pains, high blood pressure, etc. Just yesterday, on our way home from church, we had to stop at Walgreens to pick up my dad's prescription and I was reminded of their aging. I remember when he was a younger, more vigorous man. He would lay on his back with his knees propped up. Then he'd sit both me and my brother on his feet and raise his feet and lower legs as though they were on hinges. My brother and I would hold on for dear life and it felt just like a roller coaster, just like we were about to slide off Daddy's legs and onto his stomach. It's a shame to think that that kind of thing won't happen anymore, probably not even with his grandchildren. By the time they're born, he'll be way too old and too weak.

It's rather disappointing to see the way that age saps the vitality from those who were once sprightly. As a matter of fact, the more vigorous a person is in youth, the more heartbreaking it is to see him get older and slower, losing that energy that seemed to lighten him from within.

Not that old people's lights are all extinguished. Far from it. I'd say my grandma looks way better at 70 than some women who are 20 years younger. But she does look like my grandma. And I know that one day she won't be able to make these cross-country trips to visit us for every little milestone in our lives.

Right now, I'm just really enjoying being young. I'm limber, capable of recharging my energy quickly, capable of quick wit and adapting to change. My skin is elastic and as yet unwrinkled. I'm grateful for that, but I don't want to get too caught up in it, as any deviation from this norm will probably just remind me of my own mortality.

Sometimes I can see the appeal in "live fast; die young, and leave a beautiful corpse".

Aging isn't something meant to be feared or dreaded, however. I'd like to suggest that every gray hair, every age spot and wrinkle is a badge of honor earned for courage in the face of life's uncertainties, which anyone who's lived long enough knows are many. I am thankful for each moment now, and for any opportunities to experience future seconds. I want to see the progression of my own life, and the only way to do that is to live it. Age doesn't necessarily breed wisdom, but it does breed experience, wisdom's precursor. So.. in that sense, I'm looking forward to continuing my own journey. We'll see where the road leads.