A Slightly Different Coming of Age

FACT - People age at different rates and in different ways depending upon a person's lifestyle and genetics.

So much can and has been said about a person's "coming of age" - when we attain the age of accountability, sprout wings and go out in the world on our own and become responsible for our own
decisions and actions, and find ourselves on the verge of discovering life's unknown wonders. At the opposite end of this equation is another "coming of age". Those people over the age of 50 years old ... who find a somewhat different "coming of age" than their younger counterparts.

Those of us who have reached our GoldenYears have found on more than a few occasions that the mind is willing but the body just says, "Are you kidding?" Yes, we find ourselves on the downside of that adage "coming of age" -especially the age part. When the knees and the back just won't take the long hours of working, standing on your feet to do laundry, wash dishes, or ironing (does anyone really do that anymore? I haveno idea WHERE my iron is!), or lifting what we used to lift without
assistance. If it weren't for my hearing aids, and glasses I would be lost and vulnerable.

Of course one of the first visible signs of aging can be the change in a person's facial appearance. A
question I've often pondered is, who came up with calling those lines around my eyes and mouth - laugh lines? I don't think I've laughed or smiled THAT much to cause such permanent indentures in my skin - does anyone? Anyway, I guess it's just an excuse.When I think back of all the beautiful days at the beach, with the sun beating down and warming my body against the cool, salty waters
in Santa Monica, I certainly wouldn't have guessed this would wreck such havoc on my skin later in my life! After all I did use baby oil! What was wrong with that? LOL! Then, there's the weight gain.
Must be the hormones ... yeah that's it!

Someone asked me a few years ago if I had a "Bucket List". Well, I hadn't really thought about one until they made it seem like I was short-changing myself by not having one! Should I think that climbing Mt. Kilamanjaro, zip-lining thru a jungle, bungee jumping, parachuting, or traveling to Tahiti would make my life any more worthwhile or complete? I think not. I've enjoyed my life and I'm enjoying my life! I now pursue my hobby of doll making, writing, and sometimes singing.

Yes, this is a different "coming of age" that I plan to enjoy until the day I can't any longer.

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