~Getting Older~
The other day a young person asked me how I feltAbout being old. I was taken aback, for I do notThink of myself as old. Upon seeing my reaction,She was immediately embarrassed, but I explained That it was an interesting question, and I wouldPonder it, and let her know.

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! I sometime despair over my body, theWrinkles, the baggy eyes, and the sagging butt.And often I am taken aback by that old personThat lives in my mirror, but I don't agonizeOver those things for long. I would never trade my amazing friends, myWonderful life, my loving family for less grayHair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I'veBecome more kind to my self, and less criticalOf myself. I've become my own friend. I don't Chide myself for eating that extra cookie, orFor not making my bed, or for buying that sillyCement gecko that I didn't need, but looks soAvant garden on my patio.I am entitled to overeat, to be messy, to be Extravagant. I have seen too many dear friendsLeave this world too soon; before theyUnderstood the great freedom that comes withAging.Whose business is it if I choose to read orPlay on the computer until 4 a. M, and sleep Until noon?I will dance with myself to those wonderfulTunes of the 60'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 diveInto the waves with abandon if I choose to,Despite the pitying glances from the bikiniSet. They, too, will get old.I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there 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 aLoved one, or when a child suffers, or even When a beloved pet gets hit by a car? ButBroken hearts are what give us strength andUnderstanding and compassion. A heart neverBroken is pristine and sterile and will neverKnow the joy of being imperfect. I am so blessed to have lived long enough toHave my hair turn gray, and to have myYouthful laughs be forever etched into deepGrooves on my face. So many have neverLaughed, and so many have died before their Hair could turn silver. I can say "no," andMean it. I can say "yes," and mean it.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 haveBecome. I am not going to live forever, butWhile I am still here, I will not waste time Lamenting what could have been, or worryingAbout what will be.And I shall eat dessert every single day.

~Author Unknown~