UGH – I am so NOT ready for THIS!!

Oh, no. Can it be? Did he really say that? I am so NOT ready for THIS!

Today, in my office, our first patient of the day (a very nice, very white haired senior citizen) made a joke that sucked the breath right out of me. Did I hear him right? Yes, because both my husband (the chiropractor) and Stephanie (my adorable 20 year old assistant) heard it even before I did. Here’s what happened:

I was at the front desk when he first came into the office. Then after his treatment when he returned to the front desk, young Steph was sitting where I had been. His joke was that when he came in there was an elderly person at the front desk, and now there was a young girl. What was that? Did he actually call me “elderly”? My darling mom was working in the back office. Was he referring to her? No. It was me! Elderly!! Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!

They say 50 is the new 30, and I totally agree. I feel the same as I did in my 30’s, and most people do think I’m younger that I actually am. On a side note … The one benefit to the despicable weight gain that started in my 40’s = my wrinkles smoothed out a bit as the added pounds creeped up!!! Steph said that when she first started working with us, she thought I was in my thirties and wondered how I could have a daughter her age! (Uh, Tony – we must give that girl a big bonus this year!!) So then how could I be referred to as “elderly”?

I clearly remember the first time someone called me “ma’am”. I was in my 20’s. I informed the young salesclerk that I was not a “ma’am”, I was still a “miss”. Now I don’t mind “ma’am” anymore, but “elderly”??? How old should you be for “elderly” to be an appropriate term?

And then came the really big question – why is it so bad to be getting older? My beautiful daughter, Lauren, bemoaned the fact that she felt so old when she turned 20!! Oh, you know I set her straight! For her to say she was old is like a skinny person saying “I’m fat”!! Don’t you just hate that!! lol

Anyway, back to my question – why is it so bad to be getting older? Is it because we live in a culture that idolizes youth and beauty? Is it because we regret things that we didn’t do, and now maybe never will? I don’t know.

I do know that the Bible instructs us to have great respect for those who are older. And the older women are to teach the younger. Hopefully, wisdom comes with age. Certainly, experience does. To have lived well, to have loved and been loved are great accomplishments at any age. And you’re never too old to try something new. My great-grandmother went up in a plane for the first time in her nineties. It’s never too late to begin a new hobby or task or project. Is there something you have put off, but always wanted to do? Don’t let a little thing like age stop you! Getting older is just a fact of life. After all, what’s the alternative?

My day ended better. I was having a conversation with our last patient of the day, a mom with 4 kids age 4 – 10. She asked me how old my kids were. When I said 18 & 20, she was shocked and jokingly asked me if I had them when I was 12! Oh, happy day!!

Susan