Life

Life is so unpredictable.

I’m sitting here in Woodbury, Minnesota.  It still seems surreal to me that I am not in the house I raised my children in.  Twenty-nine years in one house.  Twenty-nine years of Thanksgivings, Christmases, having friends over for meals.

Looking back I remember good times and bad times.

I look at myself today and wonder who I am.  Many years ago I was so different.  More selfish.  More unsure.  More beautiful on the outside but less on the inside.

Today I don’t view myself as selfish nor unsure.  That’s not to say that I don’t have times when I feel that way.  But overall I’ve grown.

This aging thing does something to a person.  Perhaps the word aging seems like the wrong word for some.  It has connotations of becoming old.

In our society becoming old is not something to look forward to.  Wrinkles, bad breath, eye problems, arthritis, lack of enthusiasm, etc.

But underneath the wrinkled skin there is life.

Even as old wine tastes better with age (so they say) I think people also “taste” better with age.

Granted some people don’t mature properly and “ferment” in ways that are distasteful.

But overall, there is life behind the wrinkled face, the sagging body, the hoarse voice.

I still have a long way to go to truly be unselfish and sure of myself.  But considering everything in my life — not too bad this aging thing.

Bring it on!  I’ll take the beauty on the inside over the outside any day.