Getting old gets a bum rap. And other truths.
Today I did a silly thing. I played one of those Facebook games. I know, I know. Go ahead and roll your eyes. I saw a friend who had done it and shared it online and it was so her! She was a young Audrey Hepburn.
So, I just did it.
The photo above was my answer. And you know what? Nothing could be more accurate. I LOVED and still do love sunshine, bare feet and anything that grows from the ground. I also love finding quiet little places to hide and rest and daydream. Oh, and sun dresses and messy hair in the summer. For some reason this photo of this tiny little girl made my heart smile. And it made me realize something else:
Getting old gets a bad rap. Why is that?
I find this time in life so FREEING. So much fun. I suppose I recognized this little girl in the photo because I have found her again -- in a lot of ways that really matter. Now that I have less days in front of me than behind me, I feel this enormous sense of wonder, almost astonishment, for the world around me. I catch a little patch of the blue sky and it takes my breath away. I see a bit of bright green moss or a flower poking out of the sidewalk, and it stops me in my tracks. I meet a friend that I haven’t seen in a bit and jump up and down with delight. I play hard during the day, and I sleep hard at night. I eat when I’m hungry and sometimes I completely forget to brush my hair.
Trust me my wonderful less than 50-year-old younger friends, this new sense of wonder and freedom is something to really look forward to. Maybe I just have more time on my hands, maybe I’m just lucky, but maybe, just maybe, I really am reconnecting with my inner child.
Psychologists say it’s good to remember and connect with your inner child because you become more protective of yourself. Always a good thing. And I suppose that might be part of what makes this “third act” part of my life so delightful. I say NO with ease and YES with delight. I’m very protective of my time and who I choose to spend my time with.
So. Tomorrow is Saturday. For those of you that still work and hustle hard, give yourself permission to wake up with the sun. Or when your kids wake you at least. Get outside in the sunshine or bundle up if it’s cold out where you are and just give yourself permission to PLAY. Eat whatever you fancy. Let your worries rest for a day or two. They’ll be there when you reconnect with your grown-up self.
Just for a day or two, let the little kid inside you be 100 percent in charge.
With Love, Robbin
