To my 35 and over friends :)

ok. Well, 44 is less than a month away now. That may not be a huge milestone like the ones that end in 0’s like, 30, 40 or 50, but it has hit me lately, this reality of aging. I look in the mirror and everything is changing. Skin is looser, crow feet longer, eyebrows thinner, “this and that” saggier (is that even a word?)…you get the idea. I’ve decided to challenge myself in this area. It’s easy to complain about it. No, I’m not giving up hair color or forgetting to moisturize. I’m exercising and eating right…but…I am taking the mental challenge to counter every negative thought with a positive. Here’s the truth; with every day we live, also comes great opportunity. Why don’t we cherish that? Yesterday doesn’t have to be greater than tomorrow. Yes, maybe more wrinkles, but guess what? also a bigger capacity to love, another opportunity to learn, a chance to grow wiser. Given the trade, as great as “mature” may be, I’m not sure we’d chose it over youth. We’re addicted to youth in this culture. But we don’t get to choose to stay young. I don’t know any 80 year olds who look 30. Just doesn’t happen. We can fudge a few years for awhile, but it’s not sustainable. What we can chose is to pursue becoming a person richer in this life-in all ways that count. I’m pretty sure it’s what God had in mind in us growing physically and spiritually to become a mature believer. Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance-like I said, GREAT opportunities. I love older people probably for this reason. They have much to say on these things. Sure there’s always a cranky one, but there are some gems that can help me along this journey. I really want to be one of those nice old ladies who invests in others, smiles with a walker in hand, leaves nothing but love in her wake 🙂  If there was a beauty contest of the soul, how would we do?