Relaxation Segment: Old Age

Some of us were lucky enough to attend the SilverSneakers workshops in Hampton, VA this weekend. Kym Gosman, our wonderful instructor, shared a poem with us during her relaxation segment. I had also heard Andi Kwapien share this poem. So many people requested a copy of it, that I decided to share it with all of you.

Old Age

The other day, a young person asked me how I felt about being old. I was taken aback for I do not think of myself as old. Upon seeing my reaction, she was immediately embarrassed, but I explained that it was an interesting question, and I would let her know my answer. Here it is:

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 sometimes despair over my body...the wrinkles, the baggy eyes, and the sagging butt. And often I am taken aback by that old person that lives in my mirror, but I don't agonize over those things for long.

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family, for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avant-garde on my patio. I am entitled to overeat, to be messy, to be extravagant.

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 4am, and sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 40's and 50'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 lumpy body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the bikini 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, but broken hearts are what gives 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 turn gray, and to have my youthful laughs forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

I can say "No" and mean it. I can say "Yes" and mean it, too. 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 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 over what could have been, or worrying about what will be. I will fully live every day that I am blessed with!

Author Unknown