Tip of My Iceberg

To celebrate the one-hundredth day of school, Beck and his classmates were to dress up as older people.

The irony of challenging young children to look like their grandparents isn’t lost on me; neither is the humor in kids wanting to look older than they are.

Why is it that younger people always want to be older, and older people are always fretting about having the chance to do life over again?

Having decades of living under my belt, when asked if I’d like to relive my 20s or 30s, I don’t even have to think about it.

No.

I remember the unique challenges of my younger years. I wanted to know what type of job I’d be great at and also enjoy. I taught high school English for a year, and though I loved the students, the rigor of structured lesson plans and all that specificity wore on my spontaneity. We joined a Christian non-profit organization, and even there, it took me a while to find my fit.

I wouldn’t want to redo those years. I learned a lot about myself that helped me grow as a person.

Growing up is a bit of an oxymoron today. Social media overwhelms us with products to help us look younger, and exercise, and eating plans to make us feel younger.

Growing old isn’t a curse; it’s the part of our earthly journey that allows us to develop sagacity through our stories, including disappointments and failures.

We live in a culture where youth has greater value than wisdom and experience. Young people often don’t want to hear what older people have learned; they want their experiences to be their own.

Job, whose life was filled with sadness and disappointment, said,

“Wisdom belongs to the aged, and understanding to the old.” Job 12:12

Job lived through huge losses–his children all died, and his livelihood was stripped from him; even his friends turned their backs on him. In all this loss, he learned he could trust God with the hardships of his life.

The prophet Isaiah spoke of the power God give us all–young and old.

“He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:29-31

I treasure my wrinkles and sore knees. They all came at a cost that reflected my constant activity with children and grands.

Do I have regrets about how I lived some of my life? Absolutely. Nobody goes through life without wishing they’d done something differently.

I don’t regret where I am now, older and hopefully wiser, confident that God has had and continues to have an amazing life journey for me. A chance to keep growing,

I see myself as a vintage bottle of wine–not getting older but better. Letting life and circumstances mellow me.

Celebrating each day, a sip at a time.