Tip of My Iceberg

               photo courtesy of Tiffany Trotter

How has time passed so quickly? One hundred days of school have been experienced since many of our grands began the school year in August, and to celebrate it, Mason’s kindergarten class used a landmark day to celebrate the halfway mark of the year. It’s become a popular reminder that here, in their first official school year, they’ve made it through the new beginnings.

Mason redefined old.

Using a cane John got when he had back surgery, dry shampoo in his hair to gray it up a bit, and Mr. Magoo glasses that definitely added to the aging process, he looked like a spry little old guy. The suspenders were a great touch–I see so many older gentlemen in our area who sport these fashionable accessories.

People love to mark occasions worthy of celebrating with special commemorative activities. Yes, the major holidays all have their traditions. We’re coming up on Valentine’s Day, a holiday both loved and despised, depending on whether or not you have someone special who’ll remember you with flowers, candy, or something more blingy.

Birthdays are always fun to celebrate. Or not. As I get older, I fear the number of candles required on top would require the fire department to put them all out.

Aging, however, is a challenging journey for many. With youth advertised constantly and people seeking to preserve or get back the looks and feelings of young years, we forget the benefits of aging. The author Mark Twain quipped, “Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” His focus wasn’t his popularity as a writer but the obsession we too often have with how we perceive aging.

The Bible is full of benefits of aging well.

“Wisdom belongs to the aged, and understanding to the old.” Job 12:12. With age comes greater understanding through what we’ve experienced in life, if we’re willing to learn from all we’ve done.

“Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life.” Proverbs 16:31. Becoming older reflects how we’ve chosen to live over the years. A life pursuing God in love and devotion softens our sharp edges and eases our minds and hearts in the midst of trials and pain.

“Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.” Psalm 90:12. Recognizing our lives on earth are brief should help us focus on what’s important, not the small stuff that too often clutters our hearts and minds and steers us away from what matters most.

What is your attitude toward aging? What complicates viewing your life as more than your appearance and energy level? Culture promotes both as the sign of vitality and the preferred look.

We are, however, human. And we will age. We have only so many years on this earth, and our choice is how will we live it?

General Douglas MacArthur shared how attitude is the greatest deterrent to being old. “In the central place of every heart there is a recording chamber. So long as it receives a message of beauty, hope, cheer, and courage–so long are you young. When the wires are all down and our heart is covered with the snow of pessimism and the ice of cynicism, then and only then are you grown old.”

Mason can pretend to be old, but at almost six years of age, he has a way to go. Dressing like an old man is far easier than being old. Becoming older is a chance to experience the wisdom of experience, to grow as God intended us to grow–to encourage and affirm those younger than us from our wealth of years lived.

Maybe we each need to redefine old. To recognize our life experiences are gifts given us by a loving God, the good, bad, and the ugly, to grow and shape us to be more than we think we are.

Even if no one else wants to share our wisdom.