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