Forever Young

Winter is officially over this coming week. Hurray! I’ll confess here that this winter got me feeling a little old and a little bit down. I don’t like that. I think it was a combination of the ice and snow, Covid restrictions, working almost exclusively from home, and these new upper dentures. But the first signs of Spring are reminding me that you are only as old as you feel! Sixty is the new fifty! Age is only a number! I used to roll my eyes at these cliches, but now I am finding them true and important. In two months I’ll be 69. That means that in fourteen months I will be 70. Just wow.

How old do I feel? Physically I feel about 55. Emotionally I feel about 25. I guess those are pretty good numbers. Hiking keeps my physical age 55. 94.9 Miles so far this year! If only I ate better I might feel 45, but cookies and cake make me settle for 55. That’s okay. You might think that an emotional age of 25 is kind of low. Let me explain.

I used the age of 25, as an emotional age, because I still believe I will have a bright and exciting future. I still get excited at seeing the first robin of Spring, double rainbows, the sunrise over the ocean, thunderstorms, , the first leaves changing color in the fall, and the smell of new mown grass. I still like listening to new music, stretching my mind with new books, and seeing new places. I always warn my clients that I am an optimist. I think they like that. I know I do.

My title today comes from watching a documentary about Bob Dylan. I was reminded of his great song, Forever Young. “May you build a ladder to the stars, and climb on every rung. And may you stay, forever young.” What a philosophy to live by. Buddha says everything starts in the mind. So, if your mind is telling you that you are old, you will feel old. I’m trying hard not to fall into that trap. Yesterday, I saw that first robin of spring. It was wonderful! If you can honestly say that the first robin does nothing for you, you may already be 101!

Instead, join me in trying to stay forever young. If not in body then at least in spirit! I will close with one more stanza from Forever Young: “May you always be courageous. Stand upright and be strong. And may you stay, forever young”.