Today is my birthday, and I have a birthday wish for you: Get old.
I really, truly hope you get old. Really old. Worn out, exceeding expectations, wrinkled-and-wise old.
This is on my mind not only because it is my birthday, but because lately I've heard people telling those who are much younger than they are "Don't get old!"
No one means it literally.. That would mean early death and heartbreak. I get that they say it as a gentle and humorous way of letting off steam about their own aching joints, memory lapses, and muscles that motor more slowly than they used to. That's happening to me, too.
Even so, I want to get OLD! And I want that for my children, and their children and all my loved ones my friends. It's a gift denied to so many.
There's no denying that with age comes loss. But then again, youth has its own challenges. If you're lucky enough to get old, you've a survivor. You've learned thingsIf you're old, you have gained far more than you lost. And in the (literal) end, your exit from this earth is completely out of your control anyway.
This year, my gift to myself is to strive harder to be present to my life. What better gift? I want to savor every moment with the people I hold dear. I want to connect deeply with people so they that become dear to me. I want to recognize life's challenges for what they are — momentary pain that provide opportunities for a little humility, learning. and personal growth. I want to immerse myself in love and gratitude.
I want to get old without apology.
When I blow out my birthday candles, I will wish that for you, too, no matter what your age. I will wish for you a rich life filled with sparkling, mindful moments, and enough challenges to make you grateful for the good times.
And I will hold the vision of you and I getting old. Really, really old.