Aging has been on my mind of late, for various reasons. And I’ve become a little allergic to people fussing about growing old. Of course aches, pains, loss of various functions are hard to bear. I understand that. (And maybe I have no clue.)
But, if you really think about it, what’s the alternative?
I, for one, want to grow old, and I’m trying to be an active participant in the progress. And rather than the formulaic idea of aging gracefully, I think I’d like to suggest aging gratefully.
For one, not all of us will be able to age gracefully — just like we all aren’t born naturally beautiful, brilliant, musically gifted, and athletic, we don’t all have the ideal constitution. And some people have led lives, through no fault of their own, that have been hard. Upbringings, environmental and societal aspects all form part of it.
So while I like the idea of being a graceful old woman, if I have never been a graceful young woman, how should I manage that?
Instead, I’ll focus on becoming a grateful old woman.
Grateful for each day, each opportunity to try again.
Grateful for the sunshine and the moon.
Grateful for family and friends.
Grateful.
P.S. The detail-oriented linguist in me (yes, that’s a euphemism for “pedantic”) is just subtly pointing out that UK orthography is “ageing” with an “e”. Can’t seem to help myself.
