Aging is a gradual and inevitable process that no man or woman can change. It affects us all physically, mentally and even emotionally as time passes by and refuses to wait for anyone. Aging is so complex as we watch our bodies become more feeble, our skin becomes thinner and our minds more forgetful. Yet, in my opinion, aging is a gift because many people do not get the blessing of living a long life. Not everyone gets the privilege of watching their children and grandchildren become who they were meant to become. Not every child gets to become an adult either.

So many recent events have made me think a lot about the aging process and what we can and cannot do about it. Whether it’s trying to get more sleep, more proper nutrition and exercise, and even seeking medical help when needed. It’s often difficult to stay healthy and “age gracefully” but I think it’s more of a mindset.

It’s true that the older we get, the harder we seem to struggle in this life. Aging is not easy but it is still a blessing. Psalms 91:16 states “With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” I trust that the Lord will keep us all our days because He knows that our days are numbered. Some may have 10 years, while others live 100 years, yet every year is a gift.

Maybe the gift of aging is that it gives way to hindsight and we inherit wisdom due to all the experiences we walk through in our lifetime. Maybe it is a gift because it is only when we get older that we truly have the opportunity to reflect upon the relationships we have fostered while we have learned to live life to the fullest.

March has been such whirlwind for so many of us with 70-mph winds ripping through our state and spreading wildfires all across the area, burning up thousands of acres of land and destroying hundreds of homes. Then all these fires have left a smoke-filled horizon that makes it hard to breathe if you struggle with severe allergies and need an inhaler like I do. I’ve also had knee surgery for a torn meniscus and I’m still walking out that healing too.

However, for others in our town it’s even been harder as they have had to say goodbye to old friends like Coach Dixon and others. Personally, my sweet 80-year-old mama has been sick with strep throat and vertigo, and has been battling to get better for over two weeks; while my second mama has had a cancerous tumor removed and is battling even more. Then I learned of another precious friend Roxy, who had an emergency surgery that even the doctors and nurses stated that she should’ve died but she’s a walking miracle. So even though aging brings a lot of sickness, I still believe it is a gift. Why is it a gift when indeed our bodies are declining each day? Well, because I believe it’s only when you get older that you can appreciate the gift of time and perspective. Like Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “The years teach much, which the days never knew.”

Yes, aging is a gift because it forces us to slow down and emotionally connect to everything around us. It makes us become audaciously authentic too. We stop trying to “fit into a certain mold or mindset” and we learn to just be ourselves. We embrace our journey of self-discoveries and find fulfillment in figuring out our purpose here.

I love that age brings creative ingenuity because we learn to do things differently. Maybe because we can’t bend over and tie our shoes like we used to. Tee hee. But as we learn to accept certain conditions we can practice self-compassion and try to concentrate on the positive, like the fact that we are still here in the land of the living, aging gracefully.

Yes, aging is truly a gift and each day we are given hopefully makes us savor life a little more.