This experience of growing older is quite interesting. On so many levels. It just isn’t about the physical part. It is almost more about the emotional and soul part.
I remember when I was younger, I would hear “old” people say that when they looked in the mirror, they saw someone completely different than the way they felt on the inside. They would say they still felt like they did as a twenty- or thirty-year-old, not the “old” person starring back in the reflection.
Here’s what I am learning.
Those feelings of still being, of still wanting, of still dreaming are real. Even when we are “old”. I am here to say do not let go of those feelings. Embrace them. Act on them. Our packaging might look different, and we might not spring to our feet as fast as we used to, but we still are. We are still here which means God still has a purpose for us.
I am going to be 68 in about 6 months. I am blessed to be a wife, a mom, a DeeDee, a friend. My life is full. However, I now find myself pursuing a new purpose in my life. Where did this come from? What do I think I’m doing? Aren’t I supposed to sit back and be a spectator now? Aren’t I supposed to start fading into the background?
I don’t think so. Something is pulling me. Something is telling me to do this. Is it Divine Intervention or have I lost my ever-loving mind?
And so, dear friends, if you are “old” or if you love someone who is “old”, remember these words:
I STILL
I still want to be relevant.
I still want to learn.
I still want to grow.
I still want to be respected.
I still want to feel valued.
I still want to contribute.
I still want to have purpose.
I still want to use my God-given gifts.
I still want to make a difference.
I still want to be loved.
I still need these things.
~ Debbie Godawski
