Aging is not a Horror Flick
Feb 25th, 2008 by spaceagesage
Growing old used to seem like the makings of a horror flick, with the aging process as the creepy villain.
A villain who wreaks havoc by creating debilitation, dental problems, and dwindling mental capacity.
A villain who slashes autonomy and independence.
A villain who torments his victims with the indignity of sagging bodies and shuffleboard.
Not a pretty picture, eh?
I no longer hold this viewpoint, but I came by it naturally for most of my life. Coming from a family culture and mindset where failure was not an option and where perfectionistic thinking reigned, I grew up believing the loss of any function or capacity was too horrible to think about.
It was so horrible that my two grandmothers committed suicide, one when my father was young and one when I was in my 30s. I walked in on mother’s mother’s suicide just as the blood loss took her into unconsciousness (but that is a story for another posting).
Not the best family history for a person with depression …
But the journey here to the person I am today required that I grow up and grow older with this very history. I am stronger for it all. If all my life experiences had been pie-in-the-sky ones, I would be a totally different person.
I now like who and what I am at age 48. I like my gray hairs as they represent to me the age of sagehood. I like the wisdom attained and the joy of learning more. I like the blockage-blasting, issue-healing, life-altering books by Wayne Dyer, Louise Hay, and others. I like growing in “the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
Why the change?
As I follow the Dr. Wayne Dyer concept of “change your thoughts, change your life,” I realize my vision of the aging process is what I feared, not the process itself. I started looking less at the seeming tragedy that some people make old age into and more at those who see the process as an opportunity for personal growth in magical and flexible ways. These are the true sages. They are the ones who radiate positive energy in a giving way, no matter now dependent they may become.
I must admit I’m not really fond of the wrinkles, though. Fortunately they seem to soften when I smile.
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