| "Well, Happy Birthday! How old are you | | | | Once upon a time, the elders of the village |
| anyway?" | | | | were revered. They bore both knowledge and |
| | | | wisdom. Now we settle for just knowledge. |
| "Oh, I'm just 29 ... again." | | | | The elders carried traditions down from |
| | | | generations. Now we just create brand new |
| It's a harmless game, denying our age, right? | | | | "traditions". The elders were our leaders. |
| We play sensitive about our age as we get | | | | Now we downsize them. |
| older, as we get further away from birth and | | | | |
| closer to death. It's just a way to share | | | | Youth has its own beauty, its own advantages, |
| our unease of growing older with people | | | | its own reasons to be admired. So, too, does |
| around us. | | | | middle age. In fact, every age is important |
| | | | and every age is beautiful. How old are you |
| Try as we might, time marches on and we get | | | | right now? (Really, I don't mean "29 |
| older just the same. I was reminded about | | | | again".) Whatever age you are, right now that |
| this when I recently read that we are now | | | | is the perfect age -- and the perfect age to |
| seven million years old. That's at least a | | | | be proud of. |
| million years older than we were just one | | | | |
| year ago. | | | | Oh sure, it is sort of harmless to kid about |
| | | | one's age. And many people joke about it |
| Of course, that does not mean you or I | | | | harmlessly. But many of us also have a deep |
| personally aged a million years in the past | | | | unease about our age and our aging -- an |
| 365 days. That would be either a horror | | | | unease that can hold back our self-esteem. |
| movie or the work of a genius. An early | | | | |
| human skull found in the Sahara Desert is 7 | | | | I recall sitting in my pew when it suddenly |
| million years old, pushing "the start of | | | | dawned on me why one member of the all-female |
| human evolution back at least another million | | | | choir looked so different. Every lady was at |
| years." | | | | least 40 years old, but the other heads were |
| | | | jet black or honey brown or sandy blonde or |
| For you and me, age is important. Denying | | | | some other artificial tint. White Top Lady |
| one's age, or even being sensitive about it, | | | | packed a loaded bundle of white hair. |
| can be disabling. Our years, our lines, our | | | | |
| scars are part of who we are. They should be | | | | It is not a sin to dye one's hair, as long as |
| a matter of comfort and pride. Happiness | | | | we don't do it during the service. It is |
| eludes us when we feel embarrassed, guilty, | | | | just one of many ways we adorn ourselves. |
| or shy about who we are. | | | | But the sight of a dozen elderly ladies with |
| | | | hair colors impossible for their age made me |
| It's time for each of us to take pride again | | | | want to laugh out loud right there in church. |
| in everything we are. Try saying something | | | | (I resisted.) All the heads would probably |
| like this: "I am pushing 40 (or whatever age | | | | have looked normal if White Top Lady's hair |
| applies to you). I have lived 40 years. I | | | | had not been screaming out, "I'm proud of my |
| have survived 40 years. I have experienced | | | | color. I'm proud of my age. I'm not going |
| 40 years. I have learned from 40 years. (I | | | | to hide." |
| have much more to learn, so God, please let | | | | |
| me live another 40!) I have thrived, mostly, | | | | It's time to be proud of everything about |
| during 40 years. And I am proud of every one | | | | ourselves, including our age. So to |
| of those years." | | | | everybody reading this, "Happy Seven |
| | | | Millionth! |