Dawn Phelps
Columnist
This past week several of the ladies in our community attended our monthly Tootle Time Tea at Tootle Books and Such in Miltonvale. During our meetings, we eat goodies, drink a variety of teas from old teacups, and visit, sharing stories around a particular theme. This time it was anything about birthdays—it is fun!
Anyway, the oldest lady who attended last Saturday was Marian, and she verbalized that she is now 92 and one-half years old! She told us that she knows she cannot live forever, realizing her years may be limited, even though she is doing okay.
Even though she is older, Marian is still very bright. She is the leader of our Senior Citizens group, a great writer, and still drives. She had driven herself to tea and intended to drive to Manhattan that day.
Marian told us of an encounter she had recently had with two young children. She said one of them asked her, “How old are you?” And she said she had replied, “How old do you think I am?” And the child guessed, “A hundred?”
Then Marian asked the second child how old she thought she was, and the child questioningly replied, “99?” and we all laughed. Then Marian proceeded to talk about how she knows she needs to get busy in order to get thing done since she knows her years are growing shorter. Several others of us could relate to what she was saying.
Marian’s thoughts that day reminded me of when our youngest grandson Will was four years old. After Will, Tom, and I had watched a video that mentioned “the best age,” I asked Will, “What do you think is the best age?”
Without hesitation, Will confidently answered “Six!” I am not sure why he had such a spontaneous, decisive response, but he stuck with his answer that six is the best age. Maybe, to him, six-year-olds are bigger, taller, more mature, when he could go to school. Who knows?
But our conversation made me think about “my best age.” Was it when I went to grade school? Was it my first date? Was I “sweet sixteen” or eighteen? Twenty-one or the day I was married.
Best ages may vary widely from person to person, depending on our real-life experiences and the emotions and memories connected with the experiences. So, what was “your best age?” Think about it! If you are still here on earth, you have had a “best age” or maybe you are still looking forward to that magical year.
Kenny Chesney wrote the song “Don’t Blink” that reminds us of how fast those “best ages” can fly by. In the song, an old man who had turned 102 was asked about his secret of life.
The old man replied, “All I can say is ‘Don’t blink.’” And he continues, “Just like that you’re six years old, and you take a nap. And you wake up, and you’re twenty-five, and your high school sweetheart becomes your wife.”
If you are a “senior citizen,” you probably realize the truth to the message in the song. If you are not a senior, just wait. The years seem to fly by, day after day, month after month, and year after year. And, yes, for me it seems the years are zooming by faster all the time.
In the second verse the old man advises to “start putting first things first.” In my younger years I diligently kept the house immaculate, staying up late at night if needed, but my values have changed some as I have grown older.
After dealing with death up close with the death of a spouse, I now realize that housekeeping is necessary but not as important as it used to be. Being with the people I love is more important. Yes, jobs and money are important and necessary, but money cannot buy life, and good health wins over money.
It seems a shame that it may take an awakening, a crisis, to help us to see what is important in life. Sometimes a crisis precipitates change and opens our eyes to “putting first things first.”
So, for me, it is still difficult to define the “best age” of my life—I have been blessed in so many ways. I have a great family, many friends, live in a comfortable house, and have never been hungry. I have visited some beautiful places, and I have loved and been loved—I have been blessed.
If you are reading this, I challenge you to stop a moment and think about an outstanding time in your life and why it may be your “best age.” Above all, keep your eyes wide open because you might just miss something.
As the song goes, “A hundred years goes faster than you think. So, don’t blink.” Live life deliberately and fully and make this year your “best age” ever.
