How to Grow Old Gracefully and Embrace it

When someone asks my age and I tell them I'm 63 I think nothing of it.  But that number sounds so strange - could it actually be my age?  "How in the world did I get to be 63?"  I still FEEL like the energetic, full of life person I've always been. What's changed?  I still love all the same things I've loved doing for years -  cooking, enjoying fine wine and going to smooth jazz concerts.  I have the same aqua blue eyes, I still wear short skirts and sexy heels and drive a sporty car.  Can't they SEE that I'm still young? I feel great.

I DO believe there may be some luck involved.  I've been given the gift of good health.  Maybe its from my 87 year old father whose genes I hope I've inherited.  Or maybe it's because I get a full 8 hours of sleep each night (thanks to my engineer husband who aspires to the "Lights Out at 10 O'Clock" theory).  Then again, maybe its because I say my prayers every night when I thank God for the beautiful day I've had. Finally, maybe its because I simply refuse to have the word "old" have anything to do with me!

One of the most wonderful things about aging is that it doesn't happen overnight.  While we all know its inevitable, we're given little signs along the way that let us know things are changing. It may start with noticing a few little crows feet by our eyes in our 30's.  Another day you may notice a line or two around our lips in your 40's. Thanks to modern science some women opt for plastic surgery because they don't like what they see in the mirror.  Then there are those like me who realize these little imperfections are part of me and they don't change who I am inside at all. I am the same, energetic, lively person I've always been and a few little lines won't change that.  I love being me.  It took years and years to become me.  All my experiences, all my joys and sorrows, my ups and downs have made me the person I am today.  Age is only in our minds - it doesn't have to define us.  Enjoy yourself for the person you've become - live each day knowing that you look exactly how you were meant to look - beautiful!