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The Gift Of Old Age

This poem was sent to me and I do not know who the author is. So I thank my friend and the unknown poet. I am amazed by the abundance of common sense, personal growth and motivation contain in this.

“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 sometime 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 more kind 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 avante
garde on my patio.
I am entitled to a treat, 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 4 am and sleep until noon?

I will dance with myself to those wonderful
tunes of the 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 FRIENDSHIP NEVER COME APART ESPECIALLY
WHEN IT’S STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART!

MAY YOU ALWAYS HAVE A RAINBOW OF SMILES ON YOUR FACE AND IN YOUR HEART FOREVER AND EVER!

FRIENDS FOREVER!”

Your views and comments are welcome.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, August 30th, 2008 at 10:10 pm and is filed under Gratitude, Inspiration. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.