{"id":1687,"date":"2020-03-06T12:46:31","date_gmt":"2020-03-06T12:46:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/?p=1687"},"modified":"2020-08-31T17:29:48","modified_gmt":"2020-08-31T17:29:48","slug":"the-blessings-of-aging","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2020\/03\/the-blessings-of-aging.html","title":{"rendered":"The Blessings of Aging"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"aging\"<\/a>
Photo by\u00a0Andrea Piacquadio\u00a0from\u00a0Pexels<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cGrowing old isn\u2019t so bad when you consider the alternative.\u201d \u2013 Maurice Chevalier<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Aging is a complicated process for human beings.\u00a0 On the one hand, of course we want to grow old, rather than die early.\u00a0 But on the other hand, we find aging to be uncomfortable.<\/p>\n

That is why some people struggle on those birthdays that end with a zero \u2013 40, 50, 60.\u00a0 When those birthdays come along, some people deal with their fear of growing old by getting fancy cars or motorcycles.\u00a0 Or, they may take adventurous trips.\u00a0 Some folks leave their current spouses to find new, younger ones.\u00a0 They go through a great deal of effort to feel like they are still young when the reality is that their youth is irretrievably gone.<\/p>\n

While I\u2019ve never had that kind of reaction to a \u201czero\u201d birthday, I am sympathetic.\u00a0 Aging is disconcerting.\u00a0 For instance, no matter how well you treat your body, once you hit 45, your body changes.\u00a0 Your metabolism slows down, and you can\u2019t eat as much as you used to without putting on weight.\u00a0 We get gray hairs that we either dye or accept with grace.<\/p>\n

With aging comes additional medical tests, from mammograms to colonoscopies.\u00a0 And, as I recently found out, any little lump they find can be potentially cancerous.\u00a0 My goodness.\u00a0 As we age, we truly are no longer invincible.<\/p>\n

But with age also comes many benefits that we don\u2019t have when we are young.\u00a0 As we get older, we gain a level of wisdom and clarity that we simply don\u2019t have when we are young. \u00a0And with that comes a contentment that we don\u2019t possess in our frenetic, insecure younger years.<\/p>\n

Consider the following ways in which aging is truly a blessing.\u00a0 And embrace your age, no matter what number it is!<\/p>\n

With Aging Comes Clarity of Purpose<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When we are young, our priorities are all over the map.\u00a0 We want adventure, fascinating careers, and romance!\u00a0 And all those things are fun to pursue – for a time.\u00a0 But after a while, we realize that they are hollow goals.<\/p>\n

With each passing year, what is most important to us in life becomes clearer.\u00a0 As a result, as we near the end of our lives, we typically know our purpose.\u00a0 We should know what we want to have done with this unique life of ours.<\/p>\n

Most importantly, we know what we need in order to die in peace.\u00a0 So, by a certain age, we are able to fill in the blank for this simple statement: I can die happy when __________.<\/p>\n

I can easily fill in that statement.\u00a0 I can die happy once my daughter has a rewarding career and a kind, gentle husband who takes good care of her.\u00a0 Then, I can die in peace!<\/p>\n

Of course, I have professional aspirations and a bucket list of things I\u2019d like to do before I die.\u00a0 However, as I age, some of those things have become less important to me.\u00a0 For instance, my husband and I like to travel.\u00a0 But if we never got on a plane again, I wouldn\u2019t fret about it.\u00a0 I\u2019ve seen enough of the world!\u00a0 It is more important to me that he is healthy and content.<\/p>\n

With Age Comes Humility<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you have lived any amount of time on this earth, you have made mistakes.\u00a0 And you probably have made some doozies!\u00a0 We are all human, and none of us goes through life without making some mistakes and having some regrets.<\/p>\n

As a result, by the time you get to be of a certain age, it is hard to judge others.\u00a0 For instance, if you have been married for a decent amount of time, you likely aren\u2019t judgmental of people who get divorced.\u00a0 That is because you\u2019ve been through the ups and downs of marriage.\u00a0 You know how fragile that relationship can be.<\/p>\n

Similarly, I never judge other parents.\u00a0 Anyone who has parented children knows that raising kids is hard.\u00a0 My own journey as a parent certainly has not been perfect.\u00a0 For example, there have been times when I thought to myself, \u201cI should let my daughter her fight her own battles.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0Now I look back and think, \u201cMaybe I should have stepped in more.\u201d\u00a0 There are no perfect answers in parenting!<\/p>\n

Of course, this hard-earned humility doesn\u2019t mean that we can\u2019t identify the mistakes or poor judgment of others.\u00a0 Rather, humility keeps us from being judgmental<\/em>.\u00a0 It helps us realize that we are all so very human.\u00a0 As a result, we all<\/em>, from time to time, can make mistakes and do things that we regret.<\/p>\n

With Age Comes Wisdom<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There are many things that we learn only from age and life experience.\u00a0 One is that trying to please others is not worthwhile.\u00a0 When we are young, we typically are insecure, so we try to please people.\u00a0 We want good feedback.\u00a0 That boosts our self-esteem.\u00a0 But as we get older, we learn that trying to please people is a massive waste of time.<\/p>\n

That is because no matter what you do, you can never please everyone in your life.\u00a0 Someone will always be dissatisfied with you.\u00a0 Worse yet, there are certain people who are built to be unhappy.\u00a0 No matter how much you do for them, no matter how kind you are to them, they will complain.\u00a0 Trying to please them is pointless.<\/p>\n

The blessing is that with age, we learn that people pleasing is a waste of time.\u00a0 When we come to that realization, only then can we start living an authentic life.\u00a0 And once we do that, we will live the life that God intended for us.<\/p>\n

With aging, we also learn that we are not obliged to spend time with anyone.\u00a0 The older I get, the pickier I am about who I spend my time with.\u00a0 For the most part, I don\u2019t associate with people out of obligation.\u00a0 If I spend time with someone, it is because I like that person and think highly of him or her.\u00a0 Moreover, I get irritated if I have to spend any time dealing with rude, aggressive or unkind people.\u00a0 Those are precious minutes that I cannot get back!<\/p>\n

Getting older is a blessing. \u00a0And it isn\u2019t just because we aren\u2019t dead.\u00a0 It is a blessing because with each passing year we become a little bit wiser.\u00a0 And hopefully, along the way, we become a little bit more content and happier.\u00a0 (To read more about how to revitalize your life as you get older, click here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Email: meerabelledey@meerabelledey.com<\/p>\n

To sign up for my free weekly newsletter go to meerabelledey.com<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cGrowing old isn\u2019t so bad when you consider the alternative.\u201d \u2013 Maurice Chevalier Aging is a complicated process for human beings.\u00a0 On the one hand, of course we want to grow old, rather than die early.\u00a0 But on the other hand, we find aging to be uncomfortable. That is why some people struggle on those…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":593,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1687","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Blessings of Aging - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Aging can be daunting in many ways. But it is also filled with many blessings! 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