Growing Old

Studies such as this indicate that the younger you feel as you age, the happier and healthier you tend to be. Acting old and talking about being old and complaining about the things that make you feel old, all tend to accelerate the aging process. Focusing on things you enjoy, starting new hobbies or challenges, and acting or behaving younger seem to slow the aging process.

My wife and I will have our 34th wedding anniversary this year, I will turn 60, my youngest (out of 6) will turn 20. There’s a lot to feel old about, but I feel younger than my age and am grateful for my health and for my wife's health.
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About a week ago we were sitting in bed in the morning talking. Almost every morning we read the Bible, pray, and chat about whatever is on our minds. I wish now that I could remember the full conversation, but all I recall is one sentence. First a little history:

When we were young, in our mid 20s, from the very earliest memories of our courtship, I remember talking about growing old together. We had this joint vision of a house with a front porch looking out over some land and sitting next to each other in two rocking chairs—peacefully rocking and enjoying just being there together. On my 50th birthday Jackie gave two bentwood rocking chairs and we put them on the front porch. We’ve spent a fair amount of time since then, enjoying the peace, watching the animals and rocking together.

Back to a week ago and our morning chat. She looked over at me and said “you know? we’re growing old together.” It was the first time I ever felt that we had actually entered that amazing place—and it in no way was a sad realization—it was more like a “coming home” feeling, in the best sense of coming home.

So, the studies may encourage people to stay young by doing young things and to avoid falling into the “old person” role, but I for one am going to bask in the joy of growing old together rocking on the front porch with my beautiful wife.