They come around every year, and they always bring expectations with them and that dratted year older! I’ve discovered that magnifying mirrors and bright lights are not kind to us as we age. Up close and personal is something I’d rather not deal with when it comes to fine facial lines or those places where gravity tugs. It’s a fight to stay looking younger, isn’t it? And yet, why do we care so much? I used to say I was not going to grow old gracefully. I planned to fight it every step of the way! I was speaking about things like graying hair when I said it and wrinkles that never used to be there. But I am finding the older I get the more that just isn’t true. I want to grow old gracefully. Graceful in spirit and in relationships.
Looking back brings a lot of good memories, though some are bittersweet, and some I’d rather forget! All of them revolve around relationships with either people or God. Strange how relationships seem to ebb and flow and come and go. Some people enter our life and only stay near for a time. Others are friends for life and for eternity. And some are in our lives for a time, slip away, and then return later in a better way.
My closest friends are those who connect with me on a spiritual level, those who share a heart for God. There is something unique about that connection. We can be apart for months, even years, but take up right where we left off because we share the same Spirit. And the older I get the more I appreciate those friends. They overlook my faults and don’t seem to mind the aging part. We are growing old together. And we celebrate each others’ lives at every birthday.
Last weekend we went to dinner with one of those couples – friends who are the forever kind. We’ve often said that a birthday isn’t finished until we’ve had dinner together. This time we met a week early, which never happens! So does that mean my birthday only lasts a day instead of a month?
Ah well…Friday I will be that dratted year older, though I’ve been thinking of myself at that age for the past month anyway, so it’s not such a big deal. My dad used to put his age a year ahead of the year or he would flip it around. If he was 80, he would say he was 8. If he was 84, he was 48, and so on. I wish he was here to celebrate with again. We used to have a father/daughter date at lunch during my birthday week. My favorite memories are when he would take my hand and pray for me.
This year I get to spend my birthday with my mom, and I’m so glad we still have her here. Now if I can just figure out where we should go…
Today I redeemed a cafe mocha caramel latte at Starbucks. Sweet sigh…
There are some good reasons to grow older!
Selah~
