As I've aged, I've become kinder to
myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own
friend.
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, or sleep until noon? I will dance with
myself to those wonderful tunes of the 50, 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 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 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. And I shall eat dessert
every single day (if I feel like it).
MAY OUR FRIENDSHIP NEVER COME APART,
ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART!
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