Friday December 11 2015  I’M STILL THE SAME ME

Well, I was all settled to watch the end of a movie last night (already past my bedtime) when my husband brought a message up to me that my son sent to us both.  I don’t carry my phone around with me so I miss most messages when they come.  Our son was reminding me that I was watching the boys the next day (which is now today).  When I watch the boys I leave the house about 6:00 a.m. so must be up by 5:00 a.m.  Oops!  I had it down for next Friday, not today.  Gulp!  I sure am glad he reminded me.  I don’t know how I could have put it on my calendar incorrectly, but since I know myself, I can believe I did it.  So, there went my movie watching since I had to get right to bed to get up so early.  The best laid plans…but, I did finish the tail end of one movie that I had started the day before, so I still had the opportunity to see part of a Christmas movie yesterday.

Today’s plans were put on the shelf, but it was not imperative that we do what we had planned to do so everything worked out just fine.  Here I am, enjoying a wonderful time with Xander.  So far we have dropped Zachariah off at school, eaten breakfast, played a game, worked out a beautiful deign on the Lite-Brite, and we are now watching a short little video (for kids).  Xander is thoroughly absorbed and doesn’t even realize that grandma, sitting with him, is typing on her computer.  Multi-tasking.  Hey, I can still do it!  That in itself is amazing.

Yesterday I had an interesting conversation with a lady at the gym.  I asked her, what did aging surprise you with?  She responded quickly and candidly.  Here is Joan’s response:

“My name is Joan and I’ll be turning 76 in a month.  It wasn’t until I read something, somewhere, in the last month that said, “the younger old age is up to 74 and then middle old age…I’ve never thought of myself as old age until I read that and it’s hard to deal with at this point.”

I then asked Joan what gift has old age given her?  She responded:  “Well, I’d have to think about that for a while”.  She continued a few second later with “What has age given me?  That’s an interesting question.  It has given me a perspective to look back at my kids and family and then see what I would do over again.”

I asked since she can’t do it over again what does she do?  “Pray”, she said and then continued, “The older I get the more accepting I can be of some of the mistakes of one of my children.” 

I found Joan’s comments to be very enlightening.  She is a beautiful woman married to a handsome man, both still traveling and working out at the gym and recognizably part of the “older” generation, just as I am.  Yet, in all these years she has never thought of herself as being “OLD”!  I am impressed!  Perhaps that is why she is still vital and alive and active.  She has not let society put her in a box nor taken on the label of old!  Nor has she put herself into the old age box!  I hope I can keep that same attitude for many years yet to come.  As I have said before, inside I am just simply “the me” I have always been.  It is only the packaging that others look at and fail to see who I, and many other older people, really are.  Thank you Joan for your candor and insight as to how you view life.  It is awesome!

WHO AM I FROM THE INSIDE OUT?

By Kathleen Martens

December 11, 2015

The little girl

On her first day of school?

Or the he volatile adolescent

Who thinks she so cool?

What do I see when I view the mirror?

A teenager, primping for prom?

Or the young bride

Who again respects her mom?

When I think back in memory

What age is sought?

Am I the young mother

With two little tots?

I am the same me deep inside

No thought of wrinkles or gray

Age did not seem to have any bearing

I just merrily went on my way.

And now I look back

And see how quickly time flew

And all those identities

I have lived through.

So who am I now

That my body shows age?

Shall I be put on the shelf?

Or become a great sage?

The question is

What do others see?

Do they see an old lady

When they look at me?

It matters not what other perceive

The same you still lives inside.

A word of wisdom, take care of your house

That long life will continually thrive.

See yourself from the inside out

Care not an iota what others think

For they too, will someday be old

And then, you can be tickled pink!

A little tongue in cheek, so to say.  I guess I have some control over what I write, but sometimes the words just come how they are meant to be.

This blog will be an early release as I have plenty to keep me busy when I arrive home this evening. 

Have a wonderful rest of the day.  It is only 12:37 p.m. Central time.  A lot of the day left to live.  And when we wake up tomorrow we’ll all be one day older.  I’m just glad when I wake up!

God bless all of you.