Is OLD In The Numer of Years Or In How You Feel?

From HolyCoast.com July 4, 2007
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I've often wondered what it takes to be "old". Is it the passage of time and the remembrance of days gone by so soon? Does poor health make you old? Does seeing the calendar year passing in what seems to be a couple of months declare you an old person?

I have been blessed with pretty good health over the years but even I have had surgeries and health events that 50 years ago were considered a miracle if you lived through them. Heart attack at age 52 was the start of some health issues that finally came to a head with a 4-way bypass operation at age 62. Since then, the old ticker has been keeping me upright --has it really been over 10 years since that happened?

Which brings me to the next point - the passage of time! The clock and the calendar seem to be working against me as I can remember a lot of things that had happened in my life over 60 years ago! I remember in 1949 at the age of 15 when I left my grandparents home in Ohio to live with Uncle Ray and Aunt Edith in Missouri. At that time, my grandmother was 63 years old and I thought she was an old woman. Isn't it interesting how the older we get the younger that seems. Maybe I would have appeared too old if I had 12 kids to raise and then had two grandchildren come to live with me for seven years.

Now that triggers a thought as to why I am writing this piece. My first born grandchild has graduated from high school and will be attending college in the Fall. WOW! I REMEMBER college! It really hasn't been over 50 years since I graduated, has it? Where did the time go? But you know the time was filled with many wonderful memories of our marriage, our two children growing up, their marriages, and the births of our four grandchildren. Now the first is heading off to the world of adulthood.

I still do not feel OLD! I wonder when that happens. Maybe it never will. I will continue to stay young as long as the good Lord gives me breath.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

UPDATE: Emily is now in her second semester of Sonoma State University and majoring in music education. She plays the flute and piccolo having soloed with both instruments many times. Her orchestra is going to Italy next month during spring break to play 4 concerts. Pretty exciting for her.

As stated above, I went to live with an uncle and aunt in 1949. They had one child at the time who was 18 months old. Kathy will be 60 YEARS old this month! This is where I see the passage of time -- in children growing up. Happy Birthday, Kathy!