For some people age is just a number, but for others age is something to dread or an important stepping stone in their lives. People have different perspectives of age that are influenced by their social or cultural backgrounds as well as their present age.
Those who see age as just a number enjoy life without worrying about how young they are or how old they are getting and every day is a celebration for them. People who view aging as dreadful are afraid. They want to grow up, to be respected and treated like adults, but they do not want to grow old. Those who view age as a stepping stone are ready to take each day as it comes, acknowledging that with every passing day comes maturity and experiences that will make them wiser and more mature.
Many people can recall those days in grade school when they could not wait to get to high school, then college and so on. Or the days when you could not wait to be 16, 18, and then 21. Then all of a sudden, we get to that age when we try to tell ourselves that we are younger than we are and actually pretend to be younger. We try to subtract a few years from our actual age and stay in the range where people will comment on how young we look, but make sure not to go so low that people won’t believe us.
We are always anxiously awaiting another stage in our lives, forgetting to relish the joy, lessons and experiences our present positions have to offer. We look forward to tomorrow as if today does not exist. It’s time people started realizing that there is a time for everything and the most we can do is enjoy every passing moment of life.
Even though we may not like it, aging is a reality and there is nothing to stop the natural process. But we can try to embrace it. We can learn to appreciate the white hair growing on the head of that old man or woman because one day, we may find it on our own heads.
Enjoy your childhood while it lasts, enjoy your youthfulness while you can and enjoy your adulthood because one day you will reflect on the past. When that happens, you don’t want to remember living in fear and anxiety of growing old, but to reminisce in the joy of living and knowing you appreciated every moment that passed.