Some of you may be thinking … “Who the heck wants to get older?!” I too have my moments when I’m thinking (sadly) about how fast the seasons now turn and how many more wrinkles and laugh lines are popping up on my face. But think for a moment about what growing older means … what it really means.
It means we have experience … maybe in our professional lives but most certainly in our personal lives. It means we have succeeded and failed. We have been healthy and sick, some of us with minor ailments and others with life-threatening disease. We have gained wisdom from living and from watching how others live. And we are alive. Yes, we are growing older as I write this. And it’s awesome.
At a time when there’s so much upheaval, violence and illness in the world, how can I be so full of “puppies and rainbows” (a phrase I adopted from my friend, Lisa)? Ever heard of The Book of Awesome by Neil Pasricha? I was given a copy a few years ago, and I picked it up again yesterday. It’s filled with wise and witty observations about the little things in life. It’s a book you can pick up any time, flip to any page, and feel an instant smile. How about the smell and sound of a campfire … snow gently falling on Christmas Eve … getting something in the mail with actual handwriting on it … picking up a q and u at the same time while playing Scrabble? Oh, and how about the smell in a bakery? Awesome.
Growing older isn’t actually in the book. But it’s almost impossible to read one page or all 390 pages without contemplating your own list of awesome things. As I move through my 40s and meet more and more wonderful seniors and adoring families through No Place Like Home, I realize that growing older really is awesome. It’s not without its challenges, for sure. But the warm smiles, hugs, love and strength I’m seeing and experiencing each day make me want to grow older with appreciation and grace. Every day is another chance to do better, to be better. Growing older is awesome.
The Book of Awesome is a fun, easy read. Neil Pasricha also has an award-winning blog at www.1000awesomethings.com for smiles that are always at your fingertips. Enjoy.