Silver Strands
“Did 10 new ones spring up overnight?” I wondered wryly as I counted the glimmering silver strands interlaced with my rich black ones. That was me this morning, gazing ruefully in the mirror at the tell-tale sign of my advancing years. I then calculated how much time remained before I’d need to “touch them up” before the holidays approached. I grumbled as I reflected on the hypocrisy that considers gray hair in men distinguished but in women a sign of fading beauty.
The other day, my young son told me bluntly that my approaching the half-century mark in a few years meant I was old. When I adopted a wounded expression in response, he just patted me and laughed as if he already had the upper hand. “But I don’t feel that old,” I thought, even if my creaking knees speak otherwise. Nevertheless, I acknowledged that I was indeed aging. So, why is that bad? Why must we look upon it with horror and shun the passage of time? Because society tells us to or because we want to live forever? Frankly, immortality sounds exhausting to me.
Sure, no one wants to lose the vitality of youth, the boundless energy, and the undeniable strength of our younger bodies. But each phase of life comes with its own set of unique challenges and lessons. After all, it’s called a life cycle for a reason. And what’s more futile than battling the inevitability of nature? When we’re children, we dream of growing up. And when we’re adults, we wistfully look back upon our childhood. What if we just learned to embrace ourselves in the now? If we recognize the beauty in every age, we will learn acceptance and waste less energy on what we are not.
Also, people say that age is just a number. But is it true? That’s implying that just because I feel youthful means that I’m no different than my 16-year-old self. That’s hardly true. With age comes experience, wisdom, pragmatism, and balance—none of which I had in the first few decades of my life. As we age, we no longer must conquer the world. Instead, we learn to focus more on inner peace, simplicity, and happiness. Reaching those golden years is, in truth, a milestone to be revered and celebrated.
Each stage of life is like a stamp in our passport; the more we have, the more colorful and exciting our journey. And when it’s time to go, look back upon your life, say a final farewell, and then look ahead to welcome what will undoubtedly be the greatest adventure yet.
