16
T
he age-old quest for the
“fountain of youth” makes it
clear that we, the “not so young” go
to excessive lengths to look good.
Frumpy clothes will not find a home
in our wardrobes, nor orthopedic
shoes or a stockpile of prunes bought
with a senior discount. There will
be no complaining over a box of
Kentucky Fried Chicken, and you
are not going to find us flapping our
dentures at the local market. We
want to be forever good-looking in
trendy clothes, cosmetics and heels...
and if the words “auntie” or “uncle”
are ever hurled at us, watch out!
The truth is: we grieve over the years
lost to cigarettes, sex, booze and
depression, along with all our bad
decisions and wasted time. And since
we have made amends and changed
our lifestyles, we feel like we deserve
those years gone by to return, as if
aging is a choice.
However, some of us have no
intentions of recoiling at the words
“retirement” or “can’t”.
We know the healthiest body
becomes frail in old age. Although a
The
“Fountain
of Youth”
…an illusion!
healthy lifestyle can sometimes keep
us ambulatory for years, the physical
deterioration would eventually touch
us all. So, as we grow older, we may
inherit one of the many modern
diseases: diabetes, heart disease,
stroke, and dreaded cancer. But we
don’t dream of the luxury of dying
in our sleep since modern medicine
has made great strides in treating the
ailments of the aged.
Our perception and attitude
towards old age is the key to our
youthfulness. Gray hairs are like
the soft light of the moon, silvering
over the evening of life, and with
the snow of time on our head, we
are reminded that those points of
earth are whitest which are nearest
Heaven. Smile wrinkles are quite a
delightful achievement. Everyone is
attractive when they smile, and it has
nothing to do with face lifts. Then
there is the romance of growing old.
We love old cathedrals, old furniture,
old silver, old dictionaries, old prints,
but never forgotten is the beauty of
aging. Yes! We can be attractive and
dignified, just as old trees, and old
homes.
Growing old is still inevitable,
yet there are many people who
respect the wisdom we have gained
through so many years of living.
After all, we have lived the history
that our grandchildren and great-
grandchildren only hear about, and
we have survived to tell the stories.
We are the living past; we are the
ones who can say “these old eyes
have seen it all”. Even when we are
very old, there are those who will
surround us with love, listening to our
stories, patiently helping with things
we can no longer do alone, and
acknowledging the vital role that we
still play in the world.
Aging is really a matter of mind:
If you don’t mind, then it doesn’t
matter. None of us will retain the
fresh physical beauty of youth. The
“Fountain of Youth” remains an
illusion.
But our perception and attitude,
whatever our age, is real.
