Entering the “Golden Years” and other myths…

By October 16, 2017Blog

And why exactly do we call old age the “Golden Years”?  Some days they seem more like tarnished brass to me.  These days are filled with having to ask for every spoken word to be repeated–when did everyone start whispering?  And reading, man, is there a shortage of ink that everything seems to be printed in shadow instead of dark print like it was before; and medicine bottles and package inserts, forget it, I would need the Hubble telescope to read most of them.  And, somedays I may have an issue with memory–short term, long term, all terms. I think one of the most jarring things that happened to me was shopping for unmentionables in a fashionable Birmingham shop and having the little clerk who looked 12 say “I recommend these, this is what my granny wears.”  Have mercy!!  

And I could go on and on but in all honesty I do believe these are the Golden Years.  I wake up every day amazed at the way God has blessed me.  I wake up beside my soul mate, the love of my life and have the distinct privilege of packing lunch and snacks and fixing his breakfast.  I missed doing these things for him for so many years when I was working and leaving home most mornings while he was still getting ready for work.  I love being home when he comes home at night, opening the door to welcome him in.  I love little things like going to the bedroom and turning on his bedside lamp before he gets home and turning on his reading lamp for later.  It makes me feel all warm, and safe, and happy.  We can sit on opposite ends of the sofa listening to music and reading and be perfectly content.  What a blessing!

Then, there is the benefit of being a grandmother to the most precious little girl.  She lights up a room and lights up my heart when we get to visit and she runs into my arms.  There is nothing like that little body climbing into bed with you to snuggle in the middle of the night.  And did I mention she is the smartest, wittiest, most beautiful child to ever grace this old world?  Well, she is!  She brings pure joy into our lives.  Just like watching her daddy grow up and into the fine man, husband, and father he is today.  I love watching him light up when he talks about his soul mate.  He adores his sweet Genevieve and so do we.

I am also encouraged by the things I have learned and continue to learn as I age.  For one thing, you don’t have to agree with someone to love them.  Everyone has different ideas, different agendas, and different backgrounds.  Jesus didn’t  just love the people who looked and sounded like Him.  He extended that love to everyone He met.  I have learned that I am not always right and that I need to be open to hear both sides of an issue.  I have learned that some things are to be set in stone, unchanging and some need to be molded in silly putty so if I see that I am wrong I can bend without breaking.  I have learned that it takes a lot of prayer and time in the scripture to know the difference. 

It seems strange to my friends, but I don’t want to retire.  Not that I want to work a traditional 40 hour a week job, I don’t, but I want to work to make the lives of those around me better.  I want to work to help those who are less fortunate that I am.  I want to work to see that families with children in the fight against cancer have the things they need.  I want to help with disaster relief.  I want this season of my life to mean something and  for me that doesn’t mean sitting around.  It means moving and being inconvenienced and maybe being uncomfortable.  It means realizing at this stage of my life it’s not all about me.

I know now that I want to be a lifetime learner.  I want to continue to grow.  There is so much out there that I don’t know.  So many books I haven’t read.  So many things I haven’t seen.   

I love this season of my life.  I love that I can still walk a brisk 6 miles and not even be tired.  I love that I wake up early and have an agenda most days.  I love that the Lord of my youth is the Lord of my wrinkles, thinning hair, and questionable memory.  I love that even when my strength is gone He will still be strong.  

You know, these may be the Golden Years after all.

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Janice Pitchford

Janice Pitchford

Janice Pitchford lives with her husband Larry in the quiet southeast Alabama town of Abbeville, She is a mother, grandmother,registered nurse, speaker, trainer, and author. Her career in health care spanning four decades has brought a wealth of knowledge that can be applied to any business arena. She is a member of the Igniting Souls Tribe and Author Academy Elite led by Kary Oberbrunner as well as a member, certified speaker, and trainer with the John Maxwell Team. A woman of faith, her passion is to help others find meaning and fulfillment at every stage of life and to FINISH WELL!!

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