by Teresa Roberts

Created on: May 04, 2008

Growing old is not always easy. When you begin to experience the small ache and pains that accompany an aging body. When you accidentally sleep late one morning and your body begins to stiffen because rigormortis thinks you must have died during the night. Growing old is not easy, but it happens to all of us sooner or later.

I look in the mirror and I see the signs clearly. The head full of gray hair, which I try to think of as wisdom, tells me I'm older. The wrinkles in my face, the small age spots here and there. I recall holding my hand up back in the day and seeing how smooth my skin was, now I see wrinkles covering the back of it.

I honestly do not mind growing older. I've lived a fairly full, and filling life. I've raised 2 children, have experienced a wonderful marriage and still am. Have lived through some of life's kicks in the butt and survived and came out stronger for them.

Growing old doesn't scare me. I could care less what other think of me. Anyone whose opinion of me isn't good doesn't matter, and the ones who matters already know and love me for who I am..not what I look like.

What I would like to know is why the brain doesn't follow suit with the body. When I leave that mirror and think about other things I forget about my gray hair and wrinkles. My mind somehow makes me young again. Allows me to feel as if I could beat the world if I wished to. My mind has remained young and bold. it makes no sense.

My mind has aged in the way of knowledge and common sense. I know a whole lot more now then I did at 18. But why doesn't it feel as old as my age? Why does it think of itself as 18? It's funny in a way. It knows it's old but won't except it. Maybe that's a good thing because it gives me a chance to do things I might not if it felt as old as I really am.

I don't mind being older. The only true thing that bothers me about aging is you know you are growing closer to the end of life. Growing closer to leaving those you love behind. You begin to think about the things you'll miss, like holding your spouses hand, laughing out loud when the family all gets together, hearing I love you from your grandchildren. All the special things that have made your life worth living.

It's something we all have to face someday. Something we have to live with. Growing older makes it more real though. Perhaps growing older is a way to tell us to grasp all life has to offer. Spend more time with those you love. Tell them often how much you love them and how special they are.

I accept growing older, but find it hard to accept what's at the end.

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