Thunder

Clouds that thunder do not always rain.

Armenian Proverb

God-zilla

Raindrops Make a Flood on ETSY

Check out my Etsy Shop for some interesting, hand crafted items!!!!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/raindropsmakeaflood

Pizza

Karma

Risk

The trouble is,

if you don't risk anything,

you risk more.

Erica Jong

Why I'm Not Afraid of Getting Older

Hi Everyone!

Let’s jump right in!

Ok. I’ll put all the cards on the table…I am turning 49 this year. Yup. That’s me. Closer to 50 than 40, and MUCH further from 20 than everJ

But you know what? I really don’t have much of an issue with getting to 50. Heck, I mean, if life were really a battlefield and to just be “endured”…then I’ve made it almost 50 YEARS!! That’s not too bad. Sooooo many things have gotten me to this point- bad things and good things. I don’t have a problem with them. Whatever has gotten me here has happened and barring any sort of Tardis Time Traveling Phone booth, there’s not a darned thing I can do about the past. So, why let it mess up my Present and, gasp!, Future? That’s something to ponder for the next blog! J

What I AM finding is that people have more of a problem with me getting to 50 than I do. And what’s more- is they seem to want me to actually feel bad about getting older. I’m just not understanding that. Why should I feel bad for aging? Is there something so horrifically bad about getting older that someone forgot to tell me?

In my Geriatric age I have learned a couple things. One of them is that you cannot be afraid of aging because when you get old “everything falls apart”. That’s not true. I know of a little boy in Florida whose body is “falling apart” and he’s only 10. It can happen to anyone at any time in their lives. And if you eat right 80% of the time and get some exercise for your Mind, Body and Spirit, then what happens…well, it happens.

Also, I have learned that it’s not about how “good” you look when you’re getting older. It’s not about “aging gracefully” and it’s CERTAINLY not about how much money you have (although a nice amount would be great so I can take a trip to Italy!). What is about? I talked about this in my last blog.

It’s about what you’ve done. It’s about who you’ve touched. It’s about whether you made a contribution or you took without giving back. That’s all.

I have a few wrinkles around my eyes. I have some “spots” on my face. I have grey hair that I have not accepted enough yet to not color every couple months.  Looking at my flabby belly sometimes brings tears to my eyes. But you know what else brings tears to my eyes? Looking at these young girls (my students, my daughter, my nieces…) and trying to get them to understand it REALLY is about how beautiful you are inside and that a strong/caring heart IS the most important thing to have. Being healthy is much more beautiful and attractive than being “perfect” looking. There is no ideal. There is only YOU. And the best that you can do is take care of YOU. You are beautiful- no matter who you are, what you are, what you look like or how old you are.

So, despite all of the naysayers out there trying to, consciously or subconsciously, make me feel bad for getting older, I think I’ll “stay the course”. I’ll take the wrinkles and age spots. I don’t want the flabby belly, but I’m pretty sure I’m stuck with it.

I’ll take all that and move on to 50. Then after that 60…Then after that 70..Then after that 80…

Thanks for reading!!!!!! As always Stay Healthy, Eat Well and Be Happy!

And as John Green says- “Don’t forget to be awesome”!!!!!