Would You Rather Be Sixteen Or Sixty?
I still love to sing in the bath, or dance around in the kitchen (hopefully when no-one is watching me!). I still get excited when I think about that certain someone, and my tummy does little flips. Age is no barrier to love!
I love summer days and bouquets of flowers, straw hats, love letters and romance. I enjoy delicious food, good books, people, travel and doing things that make me just a little braver than I was before. (If you would like to read my solo travel adventures please read my blogs at https://growingoldgrowingfree.blogspot.com)
Mostly I love kindness.
I am inclined to dress a little more comfortably than I used to, but still love to buy gorgeous clothes, shopping at Zara, H and M, Jigsaw, etc. I still like to look as good as I can and take care of myself, inside and out. Life is interesting, exciting and every day holds something different.
Sure, when I get up in the morning my first thought is ‘I need to pee’ and as I descend down my tiny cottage staircase, my knees usually give a few noisy groans of protest. Sadly my reflection in the bathroom mirror holds no image of the gorgeous young thing I still feel on the inside, but that’s ok. I am happy being me.
Learning To Reframe
I have to say it used to feel a bit weird when people offered me a seat on the bus. Aren’t I the one who should be doing that? Or if I got a concession at the cinema for over sixties, without being asked if I was. But I am learning that it’s all ok, and all I need to do is ‘reframe’ everything, in other words, change my perception.
If someone offers me a seat, it saves my aching feet and I am grateful. If I get a concession at the cinema, it pays for an ice cream. My hair may look like a birds nest in the morning, but at least I have hair. My face, let’s just call it ‘lived in’ , shows I have enjoyed a full life. If you look for a silver lining, you can usually find one.
I am alive, there are many who haven’t made it this far. I am reasonably fit and healthy and, although I have no fear of dying, am happy to be living as long as I am able. I am always and forever grateful.
The Greatest Gift
I have found the greatest gift of being older, is time. Time to just be me. Sometimes I am up at 5 or 6 in the morning, eager to see what lies ahead for me in the day. Other days, I do it slowly, with a cup of tea (or maybe two), breakfast in bed and a good book. It is pure joy!
I have recently moved to a beautiful old cottage, but the garden had not been tended for years and the weeds were taller than me. My first thought was that I had to get some help, it was too much. But then I decided to tackle it myself, one bit at a time. I am exhausted, my back aches, my knees creak, but I am so proud of myself as I watch this beautiful walled garden unfolding.
Though the signs of ageing are evident for anyone to see, my inside-me, is young, vibrant, excited to learn different things and looking forward to new adventures. Every day is a new day and I never know what will happen. Wisdom of age has taught me what matters, and equally, what does not.
Pioneers
If you asked me honestly would I rather be sixteen or sixty, the answer is most definitely sixty. I have had a fabulous life and loved every minute (well almost every minute!) and I think us boomers really did get the best deal. We were pioneers ... go- getters. We thought we could change the world, and in many ways, we did.
And we still are.
There has never been a generation that has had the opportunities that we have now. Our mothers didn’t have chance to start a new career at sixty, travel solo round the world, or even go to university (over sixties can still have loans for tuition fees in England). The possibilities are endless.
So what can you be when you are sixty?Absolutely anything you want it to be! If you are happy taking life slowly, do exactly that, if you are looking for an adventure, now could be the perfect time. If you want to learn new things, start a new career, travel, write a book, start a blog, just give it a try.
You never know it might surprise you :)
Thank you for stopping by 💝💝💝 Lily x
This article was first published on sixtyandme.com
https://sixtyandme.com/being-sixteen-or-sixty/
