Do you often think about getting older? Do you ever find yourself regressing to a younger age? I know I do! There are times when I am traveling to a new place that I feel myself becoming deeply connected with my inner-child. Looking out the window, I remember the wonder of discover and the simple pleasure of seeing a place for the first time.
Other times, as I sit watching a young mother with her newborn, I am instantly transported back to a time when my own children were tiny and weak and precious. I remember the times that I used to ride with my older son on the train to work. I remember drawing with my younger son. Do you ever do the same?
I guess this is one of the blessings of getting older. We tend to think of ourselves as being a certain age. “How old are you?” “I’m 65.” In reality, we are never really one age. We are where we are now – but, we are also all of the people that we have been in the past.
All of our past roles combine in a wonderful cacophony of “us-ness.”
Today I was reminded of a quote by Madeleine L’Engle. “The great thing about getting older is that you don’t lose all the other ages you’ve been.” It certainly feels like this to me! Sometimes I feel like an 8-year-old, full of curiosity. Other times, I feel like a wise older woman – ok, this is pretty rare!
Let’s get a conversation going around this! To kick things off, here are a few questions that I would like to ask the community.
When was the last time that you felt yourself being transported back to another age or phase of your life? How old do you feel on the inside right now? What do you think about Madeleine L’Engle’s quote? Please comment below.