6 degrees apart

Old Age, I decided, is a gift

I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I
have always wanted to be. Oh, not my body! I sometime despair over my body,
the wrinkles, the baggy eyes, and the sagging butt. And often I am taken
aback by that old person that lives in my mirror (who looks like my
mother!), but I don't agonize over those things for long.

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my
loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've
become more kind to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own
friend.

I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not
making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but
looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to
be extravagant.

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon;
before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the
computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon?

I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the
60&70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love .. I
will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a
bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to,
despite the pitying glances from the jet set .
They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life
is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your
heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even
when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what
give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is
pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair
turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep
grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before
their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less
about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've ev en
earned the right to be wrong.

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me
free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but
while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been,
or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day.
(If I feel like it)

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live.
They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.
On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"
"It was great, Dad."
"Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked.
"Oh yeah," said the son.
"So, tell me, what you learned from the trip?" asked the father.

The son answered:"I saw that we have one dog and they had four.
We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end.
We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night...
Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.
We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.
We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.
We buy our food, but they grow theirs.
We have walls around our property to protect us; they have friends to protect them.
Their kids get to play all day and I have to go to school .
We have to aim our pee and they don't ! "
The boy's father was speechless.
Then his son added, "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are."
Isn't perspective a wonderful thing?

first, the credit. thank you funky for bringing us the humour. i've edited it to include only those that brought a smile to my lips.

QUESTIONS YOU CAN'T ANSWER.

Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?

Why is it that people say they 'slept like a baby' when babies wake up every two hours?

Are there specially reserved parking spaces for 'normal' people at the Special Olympics?

If the temperature is zero outside today and it's going to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold will it be?

Do married people live longer than single ones or does it only seem longer?

How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?

Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground? (my favourite)

Did you ever stop and wonder...... Why do toasters always have a setting so high that could burn the toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat?

Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer?

Why do people point to their wrist when asking for the time, but don't point to their bum when they ask where the bathroom is?

Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They're both dogs !

If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, then what is baby oil made from?

If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?

Why do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune? Stop singing and read on......

Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup?

Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets mad at you, but when you take him on a car ride, he sticks his head out the window? (i wouldn't know. i don't have a dog)

Does pushing the elevator button more than once make it arrive faster?