Todays Gray Matters Valuing the Wisdom & Purpose In Aging Well
It’s easy to get caught up in my own thinking, to think that I have the best answers to everything. Sometimes I do! Other times, reality catches up to my and reminds me that the earth is full of people. Some think and believe the way I do while many do not. Sometimes they’re answers and solutions are better than mine. I’m grateful to have made peace with this obvious fact.
This morning I woke up with yesterday’s terrorist attack in Belgium heavy on my mind ( http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/22/europe/brussels-explosions/ ). I’ve never understood such violence. Even as a young child I couldn’t understand why people killed others instead of working toward a solution to their differences. All this crazy violence muddles my thinking and makes it hard to write so I decided to check out what others believe is the wisdom and purpose in aging well.
I found posts from older people criticizing the younger generation(s). I found plenty of advertising trying to sell me anti-aging products and services. Get rid of your wrinkles! Have cosmetic surgery, buy this miracle supplement, use this special lotion or cream, eat this wonder food. If I were to do all these things, would I look and feel like I were 20 years younger? No matter what the ads claim, I doubt it! Frankly, I’m not looking to turn back the clock. I’m happy with the age that I am. My gray hair doesn’t bother me, nor do my wrinkles. The turmoil in my personal life is much less that it was when I was younger.
If aging well doesn’t mean looking, acting, or feeling younger in our youth-centric society, what does it mean? I decided to seek wisdom from someone with more life experience than I have. I know some of you won’t agree with this woman’s faith tradition, may have a different sense of spirituality than she has, and that’s okay. All in all, though, her words ring true for me. What do you think?