Feeling Good About Feeling Old

I turned 59 last week and had a great party with friends, who are in the same boat age wise as I am. I've been thinking that when I turn 60 next year to start a new traditon. Celebrate the whole month of August as many of my friends have done this for years and really have a wonderful time doing special things for themselves during the month. At first when I heard them say they take the whole month I thought how selfish and foolish. But the older I get I find it is important to take time for yourself and your family and friends.

So along those lines I found this great blog from On Simplicity(http://www.onsimplicity.net/) that expresses exactually what I feel and think about birthdays and having another day on this side of the green grass. To me everyday is a gift and should be savored and appreciated.


I’m not one to worry about getting older or avoid birthdays. (Give me another decade and I might get a bit more concerned, but I hope not.) In fact, as another birthday approaches, the overwhelming feeling I have is, “Thank goodness I’m older!” Think I’m kidding? Try these reasons on for size:

You can live the way you only dreamed about as a kid.
I had big dreams for myself when I was younger. I’d wear high heels and spunky outfits, I’d get to do whatever I wanted, eat whatever I choose, and generally have fun every hour of every day. Adulthood hasn’t panned out quite like that (some hours downright suck and I’ve grown very fond of flats), but the fantasy is still there, always within reach. Even with a job to hold down and a family to consider, we all have a great deal of freedom—the kind of freedom that would’ve made our childhood selves drool. Anytime you feel old, just remember that you can eat ice cream for lunch and wear clothes your mom would never allow. Your life clearly rocks.

Mellowing out is not quite the slow death you might once have imagined.
Mellowing out doesn’t necessarily mean turning in at 7 p.m. and turning up the Kenny G. It’s more like not having to worry so much about what the rest of the world thinks. It also means not panicking at the thought of going to dinner alone or flying solo. Enjoying a night on the couch as much as a night on the town doesn’t actually equate to death anymore which, to be honest, frees up a lot of mental energy for better things. When “OMG!” is replaced by, “Huh. Interesting,” as your first reaction, you’re in the driver’s seat of life.

You’re both less patient and more patient.
If patience is a virtue, it’s a questionable one. As an adult, you’ve likely developed great reservoirs of patience by dealing with crazy girlfriends, kids, and spouses for years. Lots of things roll off your back because you’ve learned that there are better things to worry about. On the other hand, you’ve probably been burned (or simply annoyed) enough to have lost patience for family drama, workplace drama, and overly needy pals. Experience makes it easier to detect b.s. and the energy-suckers who serve it up. Losing patience with those parts of your life is a great thing.

You have so many more memories that you wouldn’t trade for anything.
Sure, it may sound fun to be 17 again, to do all the rights and live life with the confidence you have now. But would you ever want to go back to a younger age if it meant you lost all the memories you’ve built up? Think of all the friends in your life, all the books you’ve read, the laughs you’ve shared, and the places you’ve traveled. Would you trade those for naivete? Probably not. Each year isn’t time lost, it’s memories and experience gained.