I've just celebrated my birthday. 69. It is the last year of this decade. Next year will be the big 70. When I was younger, 70 was the Rocking Chair Era. Gray hair. Slow moving. The age of Grandma's. Which is rather funny, because my own mother was indeed a grandma 11 times over, but she certainly wasn't in a rocking chair when she turned 70. She was still leading an active life. However, my generation was also part of the era where 'you didn't trust anyone over 30' and 40 was 'over the hill'! Weren't we the naïve ones!
I showed remarkable wisdom, when at the age of 30, instead of seeing it as lost youth like my peers, I told my friends: "For most of the 1st third of my life, I was oblivious, a child following directions, doing what I was told. Little of my life was under my control. For the last third of my life I may be returning to that stage in the waning years. For the middle third it is My Life. My Choices. This is the best age!"
I can adjust a bit of that outlook, now, but looking back I do believe I was right. Being a wife and a mother, raising a family, having a satisfying career, were exciting, exhausting, frustrating, wonderful, years. As much as I enjoyed those years, I didn't realize, then, how fulfilling they really were. Looking back, I realize even more, that raising my family were the pinnacle years.
What I didn't understand, when I was younger, is that even as we age, we stay the same. I think I expected to feel different inside. But of course, I'm still the same person I was at 20, 30, 50. Life's lessons may have made me wiser. Experiences may have given me more confidence. But inside I still feel like "Me". However, my body often has to remind me that try as I might, there are just some things that aren't going to happen anymore. Yes, at 69, almost 70, some things about me have changed.
Maturity is a sneaky thing. One day, you are pulling all-nighters, and then you discover you can't stay up past 10:00. You're idea of the perfect party changes from the music driven, booze driven night, to the neighbors coming over for a cookout, glass of wine, and some laughs. Sitting cross-legged on the floor with your kids? No problem. With your grandkids? Ha!
What's different about me at 69--almost 70? Not a whole lot. I do play more. That's what retirement is for. The best part is having the time to do all of the things I never had time for, during those family and employment years. The empty nest and retirement years offer a freedom to explore in so many ways that those years of family and job responsibility didn't. I have friends that live full-time in an RV and send photos of their expeditions and explorations. Others have embarked on 2nd careers completely different from their past. Most of us are just as busy as we were 40 years ago. But if we want to take the day and do nothing, we can!
70 no longer seems like 'old age' to me. It's just a number. Travel, writing, visiting grandkids, participating in community organizations, enjoying life; that's the life I love now. True Confession: My favorite part of any day is sitting on the porch in late afternoon, with a glass of iced tea or a vodka tonic watching all of the activity at the bird feeder. And yes, I'm usually in a rocker! But the rocking chair sits empty the rest of the day, waiting for me.
Here is the heads up. Kids from 17-97: You are you, and that will never change. Life is an adventure. 50 years from now, your experiences will add to your story, enhance your viewpoints. God created you. Enjoy the moment you are in.
At any age, Every day is a gift.
NOTE: Not to get preachy, there is a truth that we know, but have a hard time projecting. The healthier we are at 40 and 50 and 60.... the better we will feel at 70 and 80. "Use it or Lose it" is a maxim. Exercise, watch your weight, know what foods are best; it is all relevant and important, if you want to enjoy those 'Golden Years'. This is the biggest lesson I have learned. See what I mean about being wiser?
