Ageing Gracefully: Embracing my Salt and Pepper years

 

The girl in the picture is seven years old, and the woman is 61. The years in between have been filled with learning and unlearning.

 I’ve started to age. It’s inevitable, and nothing truly prepared me for it. One day, you’re a lively adolescent, and the next, you wake up with stiff joints.

Now in my salt-and-pepper years, I’ve come to accept certain bitter and hard truths about life, especially regarding relationships. 

I no longer try to impress others. You’re free to like me or not.

My circle of friends has shrunk, and I’m okay with that. I cherish the few good friends who stay with me through thick and thin.

 

I’ve realised that judging others is unfair. Everyone lives through different and possibly tough situations. Showing empathy is the way forward.

 

Age brings wrinkles, aches, and nostalgia, but it also brings wisdom and mellowness. I try not to complain but focus on my blessings.

Good health is a blessing at any age, but as I grow older, it may be the only significant wealth I wish to have. Major and minor ailments have knocked on my door. I’ve dealt with them, and so far, so good.

Physically, I’ve slowed down. It doesn’t matter; I’m not in a race. I do things at my own pace.

My hair has greyed, measurements have increased, lines have appeared, and still life continues. I try to stay disciplined most of the time, stay curious, move, read, write, travel, learn, enjoy treats without guilt, and most importantly, be a good human.

 

I’ve discovered that graceful ageing isn’t about covering the grey but about living life fully while acknowledging the changes and challenges that come with advancing age. 

Does advancing age bother you? How do you cope? 

This post is part of the blogchatterbloghop weekly prompt.